I think it’s worth noting that honeybee experts worldwide are urging people to not adopt hives. It seems that widespread coverage of colony collapse disorder a decade ago spurred a widespread belief that honeybees were in trouble. In fact, they are not.
The bees that are in trouble are the hundreds of native bees, which are being outcompeted by the 26% increase in domestic bees over the last decade. Yes, colonies collapsed, but what wasn’t reported is that commercial beekeepers rapidly replace the failed hives.
Meanwhile, the “Save the Honeybees” movement brought a lot of well-intentioned new beekeepers into the practice, including in the Asheville area. Bee City USA, which certifies cities and universities as “pollinator-friendly” due to the establishment of native bee-friendly plantings, was founded here. That’s helping all pollinating species, not just honeybees.
Honeybees are best described as “livestock” and, like so many other animal husbandry practices, are supplanting native species. So please don’t try to “Save the Honeybees.”
— Cecil Bothwell
Asheville
