MAY 22, 2012 A NATURAL LOSS OF OUR HONEYBEES

"Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again."  A song with the title, Pick Yourself Up was recorded April 11, 1962 by Frank Sinatra. It was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields.

Now nothing's impossible, I've found for when my chin is on the ground
I pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.
Don't lose your confidence if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up, dust off, start over again.
Work like a soul inspired until the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired, but you be a man, my son.
Will you remember the famous men who have to fall to rise again,
So take a deep breath, pick yourself up, start all over again.

You gotta work like a soul inspired until the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired, but you be a man, my son.
Will you remember the famous men who have to fall and then to rise again,
So take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.

This past weekend as Rick looked on, Alyssa, Vincent and myself walked in the Pride House Garden in Cherry Grove to uncover thousands of our dead girls (honeybees) in the hive. I believe from inspection this was no varroa mite, but starvation. Rick and I left plenty of honey in the hive. We couldn't predict that 'the girls' would venture out in the warm February/March sun. Unfortunately this is nature. We loaded the wagon to bring the hives to another rental home on the island. I washed the hives. I pulled honey comb wax from the frames. Some had bees still within their combs. As Rick looked on I had tears in my eyes. I do not think anyone can predict the outcome of a hive. It depends on so many variables. He came over to give me a hug. I started humming the above Frank Sinatra lyrics.  We will try again. To make sure there is a water source, Vincent (Vinny) and I installed, cleared, cleaned  and have an operating fish pond.

 In addition to our girls on Fire Island , we also brought our girls to live on another island. This year we have the pleasure of bringing honeybees to The Child School/ Legacy High School on Roosevelt Island. The hives have been bought. We must set it up this week, and await the delivery of our girls. It has been approved from all appropriate boards. Rick and I will teach Bee Keeping to the select students. We will begin to set up the terrace on the second floor of 566 Main Street. This will be a rewarding experience for all involved.

Established in 1996, Legacy High School educates students, grades 9-12, with learning disabilities. Legacy is one of the few state approved non-public high schools in New York City that provides students with the academic, emotional, and social support needed to succeed. Its leader, Salvatore Ferrara is a great man. He emphasizes that, "..childhood is a one time event. It cannot be redone." In other words he recognizes the weight of responsibility for engaging kids during their formative years. We must thank Sal and Aleta St James for their time, support and belief in us. Thanks - guys !

The  students and their aspirations are remarkable. Emotional and learning differences are seen as challenges rather than limitations and the students respond in profoundly positive ways. In fact, they recently placed second - beating out schools the likes of Stuyvesant and Bronx Science - in a city-wide academic competition known as WorldQuest. We encourage you to look at http://www.thechildschool.org/ .

Photo Credit: Rick Byrd, PhD ( top two photographs: Dead Bees and Holding a Frame)
Photo Credit: Patrick Fratellone MD RH ( three bottom photographs: Bee Xing, New Hive Set-up and our New pond - no koi yet )

Until tomorrow...

APRIL 22, 2012 VANISHING OF THE BEES

"LOVE is life. And if you miss love, you miss life." - leo buscaglia

The two words should go together. I have both love and life. I have been fortunate and I am a very grateful man. I have nothing missing. I appreciate everything I have. When the chips are down as sometimes they can be, I always find a way to smile. Things will get better- maybe not on my time, but for TODAY that is fine. It is only for today. I am struggling right now to keep all in order. I have a responsibility to do that for my patients, but I must remember that is only one hand. I have another hand to help myself in any way I can. For my hand, I am being extra careful now. I have lots on my plate. Am I unique? NO. Do doctors not have a lot on their plates? NO. Are doctors human? We hope, a loud YES.

This year we lost our girls. It has been sad. We haven't gone out to Fire Island yet, but we had a friend Todd, check out the hives. Unfortunately this happens once in a while. It was not due to varroa mites. I belive our loss was due to the warm days in February and March, which brought the girls out when there were no flowers available. We do not think the girls starved to death as we left them plenty of food. We will try again. We also will be setting up hives as some of the New York City schools. We have donated the materials and the bees. We will start soon. This year we have a little glitch in starting which needs to be taken cared of, but we know G.O.D. will guide us through this process.

Honeybees are responsible for one-third of our food supply, yet they are disappearing at a startling rate in a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD

The documentary “Vanishing of the Bees” takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. It is viewable here FREE, for a limited time The Tragic Mistake That Now Threatens 1 Out of Every 3 Bites You Eat 

CCD is most likely the result of a constellation of factors, one of the largest being the growing contamination of their hives with pesticides, especially the newer systemic pesticides, or neonicotinoids

Bees appear to be suffering catastrophic effects after exposure to even low levels of certain pesticides, including inability to fight off infections, nervous system damage, disorientation and impaired navigation.

Bees are increasingly being raised “factory farm” style with artificial food, artificial insemination, and grossly unnatural hive conditions that further stress the colony, highlighting an urgent need to return to more natural beekeeping traditions.

Read about bees. There are many great books. Join a Bee Society like the NYC Bee Association or http://www.honeybeelives.org/ . Get involved. Do something important for the environemnt and if you cannot do, you can always contribute donations.

Until tomorrow...

AUGUST 14, 2011 PART II; HONEYBEE PHOTOS

Rick Byrd, the photographer, best friend, professor, Ph D, CEO and....life partner

Phot Credit: Rick Byrd

AUGUST 14, 2011 PART I: BOISE, IDAHO AND SERENITY

"I am certainly NOT one of those who need to be prodded. In fact if anything I AM THE PROD." - Winston Churchill

Well, what can I say. I was never the guy who needed to be told, prodded or poked. I was usually the one who did the poking or prodding. As a child and later a teenager it was probably not always the wisest thing to do. I never fought with my hands. I never wanted to hurt anyone. Usually my prodding was with my witty, whimsical, and sometimes wicked tongue. I fought with the vocabulary from my mouth. Of course 'name calling' is still used today among children, teenagers and even some adults. I was used to hearing nerd, faggot or gender bender or anything else you might think of. I did not physically fight back, but I used my vocabulary. I had some bruises.

Today I prod to provoke emotion. I use my intuitive sense to 'feel' the individual's emotions. I prod only to help someone. I do know when to stop. I prod to allow the individual to think about his/her own life. My first twelve step sponsor prodded me all the time and that finally allowed me to discuss my problems openly. I got angry then. I hardly get angry now. I get emotional (what Italian doesn't!) I get disappointed, but expectations are something I constantly work on so I do not get disappointed as much as I used to. Some of my friends might think my prodding is too much. I am a human being who happens (by the fortune of a higher power) to love to heal. Simply stated!

Have you ever been to Idaho? Until this past weekend neither had I. It was 4 days that I will never forget. Not only due to the company of Suzanne, Jen, Rick, and Randy and his family, but the fields, the air, and of course, the honeybees. Rick commented after seeing a wheat field, "I know what 'amber waves of grain' really means now!" I know some of you might be frightened at the thought of holding honey bees or having them on your hands, face and body, but do not be scared. If you ever had a bee sting as a child or adult it probably was not a honeybee, but rather a wasp, yellow jacket or bumblebee. The bees are gifts from G.O.D. We all need to do everything we can to save the honeybees. They have given us so much-- fruits, almonds, vegetables and honey (just to name a few) for centuries. We must now give back. For me, the honeybees also give me serenity, love, happiness and peace.

There are many books on Honeybees and Beekeeping. In the first photograph above are two great books on Bees. I have acquired two original books--The HoneyBee published in 1905 and Fifty Years Among the Bees (1915) by physician/beekeeper, CC Miller. I have been reading Seeley's book, Honeybee Democracy. The book's focus is on how to manage a swarm and why bees swarm. In the field of Migratory Beekeeping there is little time for the bees to swarm as they are always pollinating different mono crops. This is a problem. This natural process is not allowed to happen. This was brought up in the film, Queen of the Sun (http://www.queenofthesun.com/). Honeybees swarm as a natural impulse and are able to produce new colonies in this manner. When the mother queen leaves with almost half to one third of the bees gone, I as a beekeeper am worried about the bees remaining. My hive will be weakened, and I must try to find my swarm. Hopefully , someone in Fire Island will call Rick or I to fetch our swarm. After this past weekend, I was at ease with the 'ladies' as I opened the hive and played with the bees in the 'Honey processing Plant'.

There is so much to learn about honeybees. I am so thankful and grateful that I have the honeybees in my life. You can learn how to help the honeybees too!

On August 20, 2011 is the Third Annual National Honey Bee Day. Find out more at

http://www.nationalhoneybeeday.com/ On this website, you can also support a national program to protect honeybees from Colony Collapse Disorder. I am asking you to visit this site and help this program gain momentum. I have downloaded the petition form and will start to get signatures. If you are not a beekeeper and want to get involved--this is one way to assist. You can also be flower conscious and choose species that encourage honeybees, butterflies and moths to visit your garden.

If you want to learn more about classes you can visit your local beekeeping group such as NYC beekeeping or Long Island Beekeeping, You can also take classes on August 21st 2011 at http://www.honeybeelives.org/ There are beginner classes as well as advanced classes for maintaining your hive.

Did you know that a beehive can provide many products such as wax, honey, royal jelly, and propolis? In addition do not forget the major contribution bees make to the global ecology by sustaining pollination for most of the wild and cultivated flora. Honeybees are supreme as pollinators.

The following can be harvested from the hive:

1. Bees Wax is secreted by the young bees. It is molded into strong perfectly shaped hexagonal shaped comb cells for broad and honey storage. Honey sealed in wax comb has an extra long shelf life. Honey has been found in the tombs of Pharaohs. The wax can be used for candles (beeswax candles burn longer) salves, herbal preparations and many products.

2. Propolis - Resin substance gathered from plants and barks of trees to strengthen the hive structure. Acts like super glue. It also has antiseptic, antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Used in many topical preparations, especially herbal preps.

3. Royal Jelly - special nutritious food produced by nurse bees to feed young larva. Those fed with royal jelly have a destiny - to become a queen The royal jelly is rich in amino acids, vitamins, lipids and enzymes. A very excellent food supplement.

4. Bee Venom - toxic liquid that is injected during a bee sting. The several proteins/enzymes causes the inflammation. There have been medical reports that bee venom has been used to treat symptoms of arthritis, other auto immune conditions as well as multiple sclerosis. To learn more about bee venom, visit the American Apitherapy Society or http://www.apitherapy.org/

The last yet undisputed product produced is HONEY. There are countless types of honey available. More to come

Until tomorrow...

Do not forget to look at the photos

JUNE 23, 2011 PART I: WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?

"PAIN IS INEVITABLE, SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL"

All of us at one time or another in our lives will have pain. Pain from any injury or even emotional pain from a loss of a loved one. I expect to have pain in my life. What I do about the pain is up to me. For a pain from injury, I will try every modality that I know to help relieve it. This can be medications (doubtful for me), herbs (more likely), acupuncture, prolotherapy, massage, dietary changes and even exercise changes.

As far as emotional pain- I also have been there. I have learned to deal with emotional pain. I do this by discussing the emotional pain with friends, a therapist and my own doctor. I also happen to be fortunate to have open communication with my life partner. Along with my prayer and meditation, this is one of the gifts from being in a 12 step program. I do not have to suffer today. I have a choice not to suffer. I do not have to be on the pity pot as in the past. I opt for a better life.

When you read, "Where Have All the flowers gone?" What do you think of? I guess it depends on how old you are. For me it reminds me of my childhood. I remember that song as if it were yesterday. I can still hear Pete Seeger singing it on stage. He wrote the first three verses. It was written in 1961.

The first verse:

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

The third verse:

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

So many artists have recorded this song. For me the version I love is sung by Marlene Dietrich. She performed the song in English, French and German. She first performed the song in French in a 1962 Unicef concert.

Due to climate changes and human use of natural habitats, natural ecosystems are changing. There is a fall off in wildflowers at mid season. Therefore there is little food for the honeybees. The bees and the hummingbirds need the flowers, and the flowers also need the bees and the hummingbirds. In this mutual relationship, bees and hummingbirds get food from the flowers the flowers are pollinated by the visiting bees and hummingbirds. Without pollination, plants cannot reproduce.

David Inouye from the University of Michigan stated, "Shifts in flowers in mountain meadows could in turn affect the resources available to pollinators like bees."

Some have thought to create Bee Pastures. This sounds great. USDA entomologist, James Cane stated, "Let us create a pesticide-free pastures- maybe a half an acre." This would be a way to propagate more bees. Just plant pastures of bee-friendly wildflowers. An example in this article would be planting wildflowers to increase the number of blue orchard bees, Osmia lignaria.

The agricultural industry depends on the bees to pollinate the crops, especially the California almonds.

Get involved - take a bee course at http://www.honeybeelives.com/

Until tomorrow...