What's the
BUZZ?! T
he honey bee is an amazing animal that hundreds in the region are cultivating by the thousands.
The experience of (magically) not getting stung while standing among 30,000 bees humming all around you, is extraordinary. As invincible as these insects can make you feel at that moment, these swarms reveal little of how fragile a bee’s life can be. THE PLIGHT OF BEES In 2006, beekeepers in a quarter of the world reported that their honey bees were dying at unprecedented rates. This bee-pocolypse was due to diseases from pesticide exposure, parasites, and fungal pathogens (caused by overcrowding and homogenous diets). Compacting the problem, the colony collapses of the domesticated honey bees also negatively affect native wild bee populations.
98 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | HOME & GARDEN 2022
The local bee community is buzzing. WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED
ENCOURAGING ECOLOGICAL WELLNESS For forty years, the Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association (SABA) has been a valuable resource for the local beekeeping community. It’s 400 members, who are spread between nine counties, keep bees for a variety of reasons. Fariel English took up the hobby in 2008. “With what was going on in the world, I thought, ‘How could we help in some way?’” she said. NATURE DETECTIVES The large-scale industrialized agricultural machine treats this tiny animal as a commodity. Thousands of hives are stacked in 18-wheelers and moved from one monoculture environment to another to pollinate crops, English continued. It creates a very stressed bee that is not as healthy. In contrast, hobby beekeepers like herself, use fewer medications, pesticides, and herbicides within their populations. Instead, they maintain health with engaged problem-solving. “There’s always a mystery to solve. Just when you think you know what’s going on, they throw you for a loop,” said English. “I love the unpredictability. It never gets boring.” saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
