European Honey Bees Are Missing

Flowers Without Bees In Springfield, Illinois - Summer 2008

I have been looking for European honey bees for weeks now. I saw exactly two honey bees several weeks ago, but that's it.

Let me say that once more. I have seen two honey bees in the last month - while actively searching for them.

Now some people may never look for honey bees, and will in fact try to avoid them, but I have been searching for them after reading about the problem which these bees are facing - that is colony collapse syndrome.

I've been walking at lunch time nearly every day and I can tell you I have a nice place to walk because I am surrounded by hundreds, probably thousands, of flowers of dozens of varieties.


Springfield, Illinois - Summer of 2008 - No European Honey Bees

I've stood silent, and patiently watched for honey bees - but I haven't seen them.

And the flowers are there. The succulent incredibly sweet smelling flowers of dozens of varieties are there waiting.

But there are no bees.

I have seen small flies, hornets, butterflies, yellow jackets, and wasp - all pollinators too, but I have only seen two bees several weeks ago.

This is very disturbing. We humans are doing something VERY WRONG when we have killed off the honey bees. And the thing is, we're all going to pay dearly for it.

One third of the U.S. food supply depends upon honey bees, and food prices will skyrocket if we don't do something to save the bees before it is too late.

Flies, hornets, butterflies, yellow jackets, and wasp are pollinators, but all of them combined don't come anywhere near the European honeybee when it comes to importance to agriculture.

I've asked several people at work for their opinion, and I have been told that even in nearby communities, within twenty five miles of Springfield, Illinois, that European honeybees haven't been spotted at all.