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why beezz buzz: the sting and a remedy





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From: 	"David Yarrow", INTERNET:dyarrow@igc.apc.org
To: 	Bill Duesing, 71042.2023
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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
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