I'm sure most of you are aware of the recent worries over the sudden disappearance of bee colonies in the United States. Theories as to the cause range from environmental conditions (although the cell phone theory seems to have been ruled out) to poor quality of queens to mite infestations and no one is quite sure what the overall effect will be, especially if the honeybee colonies continue to disappear.
I've been following these reports for a while, so it was with a considerable amount of happiness to see the dozens of honeybees buzzing around the grass near my car the other day. I counted at least 30 of them (from the safety of the car, windows rolled up), busily flying from flower to flower in the grass. I'm not sure if there's a hive nearby or if this was just their latest buffet of choice, but it was nice to see (even if I do tend to quake in fear when I'm around them).
If you'd like to read a fascinating take on beekeeping, I highly recommend the Birdchick Blog. She writes about her experiences as a birdwatcher, her work with birds, butterflies and, of course, her bees. It's a fascinating blog and one of my favorites.
(The image of the honeybee head was taken by Kenn Wingle. You can view his gallery of images here.)
