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Big dry brings bees to their knees
16 Apr 2004
There have been many droughts in the far west of Queensland, but there's never been one so bad that even honey bees are dying from lack of nectar. Bulloo Shire Mayor John Ferguson says he had to start hand-feeding his 20 million bees last month for the first time in his life. He's keeping his bees alive until rains come by feeding them sugar syrup and pollen cakes.
Cr Ferguson's 700 hives normally normally yield 90 tonnes of honey a year but the bees stopped producing four months ago. The queen bees, which normally lay about 3,000 eggs a day, stopped laying at the beginning of last month. Bee numbers, usually about 60,000 per hive, fell to about half that.
Cr Ferguson said the current drought is the worst in Thargomindah in 100 years. Farmers with cattle and sheep are the hardest hit, he said. They've got no stock left - they're all on agistment or have been sold.
The Courier-Mail, 15/4/04, page 10.
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