From: "David Yarrow", INTERNET:dyarrow@igc.apc.org
To: Bill Duesing, 71042.2023
71042,2023
Date: Mon, Jul 29, 1996, 6:15 AM
RE: why beezz buzz: the sting and a remedy
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From: "David Yarrow" <dyarrow@igc.apc.org>
Organization: Turtle EyeLand
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Date: Mon, 29 Jul 1996 04:20:10 +0000
Subject: why beezz buzz: the sting and a remedy
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The Buzz
Why Beezz Buzz: the sting
-- and a remedy --
First, a few fractal facts gleaned from Alison Clarke's spring `96
NYSAWG* News:
* Doug Beecher, a NYS beekeeper, reports many parts of the country
with 80-90% of wild colonies wiped out by bee mites.
* Honey prices rose from 45 to 90 cents/lb.wholesale in `96. Rental
of colonies to pollinate crops rose from $18 to $35/colony.
* National Public Radio reported this crisis early in summer. One
Midwest beekeeper said she had no problems due to fennel and spearmint
she companion plants near her hives.
* Mary Ann Fraser of Penn State U. says two mites are responsible,
both imported into the U.S. One microscopic mite from England in 1983
lodges in beezz' trachea to quickly choke them. A larger external mite
-- barroa mite -- came in 1987 from Asia. From east and west came a
pest.
* Two remedies currently used on micro-mites: 1] menthol fumes as
repellent; 2] grease pads as attractant traps. For barroa mites, strong
Epistan antibiotic-impregnated cloth to innoculate hives. Epistan is
harmful to huemans and prohibited in honey producing hives.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
So, here's an eco-logical spin to this buzz about bezz decline:
Honeybeezz are to North America what potato was to Ireland:
1] Intruding species from another continent, out of place amid
indigenous populations and genepools;
2] Genetically uniform variety grown by clone;
3] Dependent on nutrient foods not native to local ecosystems
4] Artificially favored byfarming technology
5] Used by huemans as cash crop
Central American potato flourished in 18th century europe's distorted
colonial ecology and economy. Until viral blight obliterated the Irish
lumper in a few brief years.
Similarly, honeybeezz aren't North American natives. brought by
Europeans, without indigenous disease, pests or parasites to keep them
in check, they spread quickly to fill a needed eco-niche. But now a
mighty mite is sweeping them from the land.
Though initially favored, in eco-cycles of time, all intruders succumb
to another. One opportunistic parasite becomes food for another. In
the long run, however, native genepool biodiversity will endure and
prevail.
In fitting irony, potatoes produce poor pollen and nectar. They
propogate by vegetative cuttings, not genetic cross [X] in seed.
Birth of the white buffalo calf is Nature's cue for indigenous genes
to bee-gin a new cycle of songs.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The Sting
Beezz are armed with stingers -- a tail pin to inject fire under your
thin membrane skin. These virgins' venom burns bursts of neur-ill-
logical pain to your brain.
This tale of potatoes and honey has its own barb. The sting of the
beezz' demizze for U.S. guyzz is revealed if you change "honeybeezz" to
"palefaces" in 1-5 etc. above.
Europe's industry civilization isn't native to North America. For 500
years [half a millennium] it consumed the continent's abundance to
digest and distill down to cash and trash.
But there are limits to growth. The ecosystem feeding web can't be
endlessly mine-d. At cyclic intervals, Natural Law and order is
restored -- when strong survive and native revive.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Now a remedy: the essence of cure is in the flower
But bee-fore you bee-gin to stick flowers in test tubes for
biochemical analysis, test this thesis:
I suggest the Midwest defense is best: feed beezz herbal nectars.
Certain companion plants -- in their nectar and pollen -- provide beezz
with not only food, but medicine. Their blossoms also are natural
repellent, antiparasitic, antibiotic substances not in ordinary field
flowers -- so-called "heavy nectar producers" like 3-leaf clover. Like
a neighborhood self-service pharmacy.
Mints have silly, looking funny flowers -- like gaping mouths with
deep throats -- gaudy invitations to a baudy party for virgin beezz to
get high. All are abundant nectar producers with unique essential
aromatic oils [such as menthol] useful to huemans in cooking, medicine
and ceremony. Good insect repellents, too.
Mints include sage, rosemary & thyme [but not parsley] and all square
stem plants: heal-all, bugle, catnip, nepeta, pennyroyal, horsemint,
bergamot, bee balm [also feeds hummingbirds, pollinator among animals],
and a great host more than I can remember....
Many -- like thyme and bugle -- specialize in feeding -- not beezz --
but tiny predatory wasps -- another breed of stinging insects. These
wasps are predators who patrol fields, gardens and hives for leaf-
chewing parasites like cabbage worms, hornworms -- and even mites.
Many, like thyme & bugle, grow at natural geomagnetic vortexes --
vertical flux whirlpools. Others, like catnip & bee balm, grow in other
subtle geomagnetic anomalies. But now is no time for a beeline detour
thru magnetism. That's another tale to spin.
Then there's yarrow -- healing herb of Achilles / divining stalk of
China -- who's flower yields not nectar, but potent pollen -- an
antibiotic innoculant for hives -- especially favored by wasps.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Last, a related suggestion: grow oregano, too. Its pink tubular
blossoms are breakfast to cabbage butterflies, who sip its night's
nectar early after sunrise. Stoned on sweet sex essence, they flutter
bye to cabbage patch to dance in drunken reverie -- make love in
nectar's ecstacy -- lay eggs amid your brassicas.
So, first thing each day's dew, visit your oregano with a net to snare
all these white and yellow dancers -- and avoid the green chewing
cabbage looper. Eschew the need for dipel or ddt.
And don't forget to feed wasps and beezz.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
As always, this little word spin is no mere child's play or fairy
tale. This sneak attack on your psyche reveals a moral in both nature
and fantasy.
What's good for beezz is a natural for you huemans, too.
If you don't wish to beecum like honeybeezz, succumbing to parasitic
tragedy, then learn to sing like beezz, in harmonies of rainbow melodies
in natural communities.
Don't just use these herbs in food and drink; let them teach you to
change how you think. Don't just make tea of leaves. Gather fresh
flowers to spin their colorful fire essence into water. Gather their
taste of nectar ecstacy to open your inner eye to see.
Pay attention to the complex dances of varied insect, plant, animal,
and hueman on the vast time-scale stage of evolution. In this rich
biodiversity and history, every creature has its place, its moment, its
song, its story to weave into the whole.
Our sickness, confusion and pain is what we "leaf" out -- green
medicine we forgot or never learned of this gift called Creation.
Believe me, after 6,000 volts, shattered back, 6 weeks intensive care,
7 months in rehabilitation, 2 years institutionalization, I know there's
no cure in chemicals -- whether in farming**, food and drug or medicine.
The secrets of real regeneration and healing lie down a path I mark
with this trace of elemental green medicine.
~~ turtle, July `96
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
*
next in The Buzz: [special from Ireland] how to make 4-leaf clover,
honey.
***************
*NYSAWG: New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, 243 ROSEdale
Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620; 716-271-4007
**In March 1983 turtle organized, hosted and incorporated the Founders
Meeting of the Natural Organic Farmers Association of New York, and
served its board of directors until 1988.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
for a green and peaceful planet for the Seventh Generation
David Yarrow at Turtle EyeLand
c/o Broeckx, P.O. Box 6034, Albany, NY 12206
dyarrow@igc.apc.org 518-426-0563
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*