I had the bee scare last year when they were late showing up to pollinate the zuchs. Baby zuchs just withered away. Eventually, the bees arrived and, life was good once more. At the time, I thought the flower lady across the street had been splashing Sevin around. Later found it was a more wide spread affair. This year I'm putting out bee balm and other bee attractants, to encourage their patronage but, from what I read, it doesn't sound hopeful, "Fall Dwindle Disease" to "Colony Collapse"?
Numerero-uno, we need to look at the messenger. Remember that "news papers" aren't about informing, they are about making money and, "if it bleeds, it leads". If you don't sell papers, advertisers won't advertise and, the paper won't make a profit. Corporate ownership adds another wrinkle (I'll save that rant for another time.). Anyway, sensationalism sells.
Numero-two-o, somethin' is happen here but, what it is, isn't exactly clear. Bees that don't fly away, but stay with the hive, seem to have multiple diseases, kinda like "AIDS" for bees. No, I don't want to know what they're doing in there but what ever it is, it isn't pretty. Apparently, even honey-bee predators won't go into the unguarded hives.
Numero-three-o, Maybe over this growing season, we could report to the group on the appearance or disappearance of honey-bees in our own gardens in order to try to make some sense out of this.
Like Freedom, a good garden requires constant vigilance.
I hate ending on such a bummer, so Ill leave you with the following thought to contemplate.
"Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God."
- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)