Book Review - Bitter Honey: Big AG's Threat to Bees and the Fight to Save Them - Island Press Imprint, Princeton University Press

 

     One comes away from reading this book wondering whether we have learned anything from the days when Rachel Carson alerted us to the dangers posed by  chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, sprayed indiscriminately on the land, ignoring the long term consequences of poisoning the soil, water and air. A new silent spring is cloaking the landscape; the buzz of bees is chillingly absent.

     Having already faced an arsenal of poison, these vital pollinators are under increasing threat as the current US administration relaxes or eliminates existing protective regulations, even to the extent of permitting forever chemicals to be used again. These chemical assaults are not targeted and native bees and other insects, and valuable pollinator plants, are destroyed.  

     Honey bees are no longer primarily raised to produce honey, but have become trans-continental pollinators, trucked from Maine to California, to sustain the almond harvest there. In a crazy patchwork of largely ineffective management practices, almond groves are sprayed with a head-spinning medley of chemical concoctions, often killing the very bee colonies that were imported to pollinate the trees.  Add to this jumbled mess the impact of the climate crisis, tracheal and varroa mites and other parasites, and bee keepers routinely lose most of their hives in a given year.

     Big Ag is implicated in all of this, in fact is the architect of it, but the pursuit of profit trumps every other consideration. Human greed does not miss a step on the way to making money, the environment be damned.

     There is a glimmer of hope, akin to a dim light in a very dark room, but some farmers and beekeepers, are restoring the land, and managing bees and the landscape that supports healthy populations in a sustainable manner. The scope of their operations, however, is insignificant when compared with the pollination industry that sees semi-trucks fan out all over the continent each February, to provide services that are unsatisfactory to beekeeper and fruit grower alike.

     One can only hope that the vanguard of responsible apiarists is the beginning of a movement. One prominent beekeeper stated, "If there's a low spot, it's turned into a field. If there's a high spot, it's leveled. If there's a wet spot, it's drained. There's no wasteland , no opportunity for anything natural to grow that would provide the diversity honey bees need in their diet." If bees are to survive this has to change.

     Jennie Durant has written a very significant book. I urge everyone to read it. I swore to myself that I would resist calling it the new Silent Spring, but it's impossible not to. It's just that important.

Bitter Honey: Big Ag's Threat to Bees and the Fight to Save Them - Island Press Imprint, Princeton University Press

Hardcover - US$30.00 - ISBN: 9781642834000

248 pages - 33 black-and-white illustrations 

6.125 x 9.25 inches (15.31 x 23.125 cm)

Publication date: 26 May, 2026

A Walk Along the Mill Race

17 April, 2026 

     We were joined by Victoria for a pleasant stroll along the Mill Race, hoping for a few spring migrants. The weather was a little cool, but not unpleasant.

     It was no surprise that two of the first birds we saw were Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) and Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) - both resident species.

     Bracket fungi (family Polyporaceae) hold eternal appeal.

     A Baltimore Oriole's (Icterus galbula) nest from last year still looked in good shape.

     Our first bona fide migrant was a Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), an exceedingly attractive bird.

     Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) is one of our most common bracket fungi.

     A Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) was having its feathers ruffled by the wind.

     It turned to face into the wind and its plumage was sleeked down appreciably.

     New life is emerging in a rotting stump.

     Everything in the living world is recycled and nothing is wasted; a stark contrast to the way humans abuse the planet, discarding waste at every turn, much of it toxic and harmful to all life.

     I doubt that many people pay attention to Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius), but I would invite you to take a look at it.

     There is much to be admired in this hardy plant.

     Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) are on the verge of blooming. I can hardly wait.

     The same may be said of Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus).

     To see a White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) evokes a response akin to seeing a favourite child. No matter how often the encounter, no matter the mood, to share the moment always evokes intense pleasure.

     A male Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is a splendid fellow indeed.

     A few Brown Creepers (Certhia americana) overwinter with us, but most are migratory and return when the weather is more gentle.

     A Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) is always chary to display its eponymous crown, but this individual gave us the merest glimpse.

     Mosses (phylum Bryophyta) were widely used by Indigenous people as soft material for baby diapers, and I imagine it was very effective. It looks plush and inviting in its forest home.

     One day when your curiosity overwhelms you, examine it through a loupe or other magnification device, and what you see will amaze you.

     At the end of the trail, just before crossing Three Bridges Road, we saw another Downy Woodpecker.

     A Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) was no surprise.

     The Conestogo River, swelled by snowmelt and heavy rains formed a torrent that washed over the bridge, resulting in the closure of the road.

     A Red-bellied Woodpecker remained indifferent to this turn of events.

     An Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) scampered wherever dry ground permitted.

     Friendly people had left peanuts and that's an opportunity not to be missed.

     On the way up to the dam we were serenaded by a couple of Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia).

     Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) had claimed a tree as their own.

     Several Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) patrolled along the opposite shore; a couple of them seemed to be nesting but they were concealed by grass and rushes and not amenable to photography.

     More views of the swollen, surging, roiling,  malevolent river.

     Water, essential to all life on Earth, can become lethal in an instant.

     Violets (genus Viola) are evidence of early spring.

     A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) patiently worked still pools in small, sheltered coves.

     An American Robin (Turdus migratorius) was already occupied with the important work of producing the next generation.

     A Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) peeked out from behind a wall.

     This robin, clad impeccably as befits a bird in spring, was perhaps the father of the young in the nest we saw earlier.

     It had been a great walk.

Staggering Facts

96% of the mass of all mammals on Earth is humans and our domestic livestock

Only 4% remains for everything else

70% of all birds are domesticated poultry

And the human population of the world continues to grow

Sir David Attenborough

 Happy 100th Birthday 

Sir David Attenborough

The greatest of them all.

More Random Spring Sightings

24 April, 2026

Benjamin Park, Waterloo, ON 

     Often overlooked, Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) is a sure sign of early spring, and a flower I look forward to.

     It seems that as soon as I locate Blue Cohosh, Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is not far behind.

     Lichens are not easy to identify, but they are always exciting to see. I believe those shown below are Rosette Lichens (genus Physcia).

     Violets (genus Viola) are said to inspire love and affection.

     Sometimes the affection blooms longer than the flowers!

     This trunk bears the signature of several cavity-nesting species of birds. 

     A couple of years ago a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) set up home there, but I suspect the inner sections have degraded and are no longer suitable.

     An American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is as familiar as it is beloved.

     Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is more beautiful than is generally acknowleged.

     Like the American comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, it gets no respect!

TRIVIA

     I was recently asked by a bright young fellow about the scientific designations vulgare or vulgaris and officinale or officinalis, both seen quite frequently.

Vulgare or vulgaris is the Latin word for "common" or "widespread." It is frequently used as a specific epithet and does not indicate in any way that the organism is vulgar!

Officinalis or officinale, a botanical Latin term, is generally used as a specific epithet to identify plants with medicinal properties.

     I knew those four years of high school Latin would come in handy one day!

Random Spring Sightings

 18 April, 2026

SpruceHaven, St. Agatha, ON

     Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is far-and-away the most common salamander in our region and can usually be found by lifting a log or two in the vicinity of a vernal pond, or even a moist forest floor.

     As the genus Plethodon implies it is lungless and should not be handled since it breathes through its skin. Handling can interfere with breathing and cause  surface mucus to dry out permitting the entry of harmful bacteria.

     Eastern Red-backed Salamanders can be found in most deciduous woodlands, but may also inhabit coniferous forests. They feed on insects, spiders and other terrestrial invertebrates and, in turn, become food for birds, small mammals and snakes.

22 April, 2026

Benjamin Park, Waterloo, ON

     A Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is not a bird I see frequently, so it was very agreeable to be greeted by this male as soon as I set foot on the trail.

     I eagerly await the emergence of Trilliums (genus Trillium) and Benjamin Park is an area where they occur in profusion. 

     White Trillium or Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is the most abundant species, but it is difficult to know until the flower is revealed.

     There is no doubt that the following plant is Purple Trillium (Trillium erectum).

     White Trillium has been the provincial flower of Ontario since 1937.

     Lungwort (Pulmonaria canadensis) appears early and fills the woodlands with surreal beauty.

     The first wood warbler I see is nearly always Myrtle Warbler (Setophaga coronata).

     Unlike most warblers which are obligate insectivores, Myrtle Warblers are able to switch to a diet of fruit and berries when insects are not available during periodic cold snaps.

     Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) have a loud, distinctive song familiar to all.

     It evokes a feeling of profound joy to greet early Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa).

     There is more, but we'll save that until the next time.