I would like to start a colony here in South Deschutes County. I wonder if there are some beekeepers on the board who have experience with the challenges we have here in the Sunriver, Three Rivers, Fall River, La Pine area.
1. We usually get a cold snap for a week of so every winter that goes as low as minus 5 or 10 degrees F.
How are you dealing with these temperatures?
2. Spring comes late. Cool temperatures and no blooms till late April makes me wonder if we have enough forage for honeybees.
Also native flowering plants are few. There are some currants and bitterbrush, two main species of pine tree . . . is there enough pollen and nectar in the environment here? What are your bees finding?
We do live along the river, so water is not a problem.
3. We are inside the Four Rivers Vector Control District.
https://www.fourriversvectorcontroldistrict.com/
They use the larvicide BTI extensively. When mosquito numbers get high enough, they fog the area with Permethrin. Permethrin is known to be toxic to bees.
This is my bigger worry, that just like we've seen the natural populations of insects crash since they started fogging, bee hives will die or do poorly in the presence of this insecticide.
Does anyone here live inside the FRVCD and can contribute from experience . . . are your bees able to live inside the treated zone?