thejenkinscountytimes.com
The Jenkins County Times
Wednesday, June 28, 2023- Page 11
Honeybees suffer second
^deadliest season on record
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
Our nation’s honeybee
population has suffered
through the second highest
death rate with beekeepers
losing almost half of the
colonies. The University
of Maryland and Auburn
University have found that
with 48% of bee colonies
lost, the number of colonies
remained stable.
Honeybees pollinate
over 100 of the crops we
eat. Scientists believe a
combination of parasites,
pesticides, starvation, and
climate are culprits for the
large die offs.
Last year’s 48% loss
rose from the 39% loss in
2021. “This is troubling,
when we barely manage
sufficient colonies to meet
pollination demands in our
country,” bee scientist Jeff
Pettis explained. Pettis is
the president of the global
beekeeper association
Apimondia.
“The bee colony
population is stead because
commercial beekeepers
split and restock their hives,
finding new queens.” Pettis
continued.
The parasite Varroa
destructor is the biggest
culprit. Pesticides also
make matters worse
because they make bees
more vulnerable to diseases
and less likely to seek food.
The demand for
pollination is growing
even as beekeepers have
to work harder to make up
for loss. The US Dept, of
Agriculture estimates 35%
of human food comes from
pollinated plants and the
honeybee is responsible for
80% of that,pollination.
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How does the Ogeechee River
affect fish growth?
The natural fluctuation of
the Ogeechee River plays
an important part in fish
growth.
The Ogeechee River
originates in Taliaferro
County, at the junction of
the North and South forks.
It flows southeastward for
approximately 250 miles to
empty into Ossabaw Sound
and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Canoochee River
flows into the Ogeechee
River, joining it along the
Bryan/Chatham County
border.
A frequent question that
is asked is about Dams and
how they help fill the river.
Dams do not regulate the
Ogeechee. The river rises
and falls according to
the amount of rainfall in
its watershed, creating a
unique fishing opportunity.
From Highway 204
upstream as far as Jenkins
County. Fish tend to be
concentrated around
submerged trees and brush
around the mouths of the
bends in the river.
The Ogeechee River
contains one of the best
redbreast sunfish fisheries
in the state. Redbreast
reproduction has been
adequate in the past few
years, but the growth of
these fish has been even
better now that it has been
raining so much. When
river levels return to normal.
you can expect catches of
large redbreast to be back
to normal. In addition to
redbreast sunfish, other
bream species present
include bluegill, redear
sunfish and spotted sunfish.
Redbreasts are plentiful
in backwaters and slower
moving sections of the
main channel.
With the rise in the water
levels, this is a perfect time
to go fishing. Find you a
shady spot on the river or
near one of those bends
in the river and happy
catching!
See ya next week!
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