Nature Nurtures is a column in our local news paper the Lake County Press which I voluntarily write for. To purchase a subscription to the Lake County Press click on the link below, or purchase copies at any of several Two Harbors establishments.
Beekeeping is a challenging hobby, and in northern Minnesota, we face even bigger challenges. Honeybee's are alive all winter, even coming out to take "cleansing flights" when temperatures are above freezing. Today honeybees are facing multiple stressors from mass agricultural migrations, where millions of colonies are brought to pollinate monocultures of crops like almonds, blueberries, and canola. A parasitic mite, the varroa mite, that migrated here from Asia has also added a challenge to keeping bees healthy, especially through the winter months. This parasite feeds on the bee's winter "energy source" or fat body, which is an organ that helps winter bees survive until spring.
As printed in the Lake County Press March 19th, 2022 Vol. 1 No. 8
