I was curious how our neighborhood hive of wild bees was faring in their improvised home in a rotting telephone pole. This year we had unseasonable late rains in June and a very hard winter (both colder and wetter than usual). I didn’t know if the feral beehive had made it. Because human development has decimated honey bees’ natural habitat, wild honey bees have much less than a 50% chance of making it without a beekeeper’s intervention. Fortunately, these local wild girls are alive and kicking. In fact, compared to last year they have more comb and a much larger population.
I will be watching their progress in the coming months and hoping that they will make it through the coming winter. I’ll let you know how they fare.
Please leave your comments below.
Hi Clare,
I remember it might be close to 80%, but I’m not exactly sure, hence 50%. All I know is that the odds are against the swarm finding a suitable home.
Thank you!
“Wild bees have a less than 50% chance of making it without beekeeper intervention” – that’s a horrifying statistic! I’m delighted to see your wild hive is doing so well!
I also enjoyed reading about your bee suit and your additional helpful tips. Thank you!
EcoExpert
The things we do to harm birds every day – and how to reduce the impact