Where are the bees?
Our apple tree, 12.5.16
We’ll crunch no apples this autumn
for the blossom will not be transformed
by the work of our friends the bees.
I haven’t seen a bee this year ─
last Spring the farmer did his worst
One Sunday on the quiet
he turned his lethal illegal spray
onto the growing corn.
The corn it grew and grew and grew
but I haven’t seen a bee this May.
We’ll crunch no apples this autumn
for the blossom, late appearing,
will not be transformed
by the work of our friends the bees.
Vivinfrance's Blog 
How heartbreaking. How criminal of the corn farmer. This makes me sad as I was happy to see many bees in Normandy the year we were there.
LikeLike
I feel sad for you and for the bees.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the same here, but I was blaming our cold spell rather than farmers because we had bees in April but none now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not good news…
LikeLiked by 1 person
All may not be lost. There are several hundred varieties of bees in northern Europe, and they all pollinate, not just the ones we get honey from. They operate at slightly different seasons, too, so some may have missed your agri-vandal and insect terrorist. I’m with Tialys. Report the bugger. The other thing you could do is perhaps ‘borrow’ a hive for a week or so if you happen to know someone who keeps bees and doesn’t live near sprayed crops. A quiet spot facing the morning sun and close to the apple tree, and they’d get the work done pronto, and the hive owner would get apple blossom honey. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought of keeping your own, but you can protect the hive by feeding the bees sugar water for a while to stop them flying out to find nectar elsewhere. You have to know the spraying’s happening, but you could save some of the bees.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Kate – does your knowledge know no bounds? 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always been a bee-nerd, since I was six and our neighbour had hives. He lived in a hugely insanitary cottage without running water or other sanitation, but had the most wonderful productive garden, orchard, hives and more chickens than I could count. I can still bring to mind the smell of his lavender, the box hedge up to his door, and the baskets of huge green Bramley apples he used to send home with me for Ma to turn into apple sauce, apple crumble, etc. Anyway, yes, bees are favourites of mine…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Kate. I shall make enquiries, as there is a local honey supplier. But all insects are affected by the sprays, not just honey bees, so it is a damaging tragedy. Good luck this afternoon – or has it already happened in Australia? It’s 11 am here.
LikeLike
No, the next bout is early tomorrow morning your time.
We are having trouble with our bees here, too, it’s a worldwide phenomenon, but at least we are spared the varroa mite, because our AQIS (quarantine inspection) is so very strict. For now, anyway…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve just come back from your blog post, so am up to date now. I know to keep everything crossed for a bit longer.
LikeLike
Not to the extent, I hope, that you’ll cut off the blood supply. We need your fingers supple for the poetry 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
and the quilt sandwiching (Ugh) not to mention two pairs of new summer trousers to turn up. I persuaded Jock to take me into the dreaded Leclerc, and made him stand about while I did a proper shop for the first time in two years. Their summer stuff is cheap and cheerful, so I struck while the iron was hot.
LikeLike
You could, of course, totally cheat and use iron-on hemming tape…? And I know you spray baste. Save your strength for the big stuff. But bravo on scoring in the face of husbandly long-suffering 🙂
LikeLike
It’s just getting it together flat that I struggle with. With my three tables together, the space in the workroom is sooo constricted. To get round the whole, each one has to be moved!
LikeLike
I’d be there to help in a flash, except for the distance, except for the back, except for the cost of the plane ticket. Let’s have a skype soon, maybe over the weekend sometime if you’re free?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. It will be good to see you “in the flesh”, much as I enjoy our bloggy exchanges!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I’d have had to turn ‘informer’ and rat him out. What a shame and the apple growers won’t be happy either, surely.
LikeLiked by 2 people
If I’d caught him in the act, I would have, but it was our neighbour’s carer who told me. It’s particularly damaging here, as this is cider country
LikeLike