This time of year, it's hard to spot many insects buzzing around the Triad. But can we expect them all to return when the weather warms up? That's what listener Don Rumsey wanted to know.
“Are there far fewer honey bees, bumblebees, lightning bugs, June bugs, and butterflies than there were a few years ago?”
WFDD's April Laissle visited a backyard beehive in Winston-Salem to find out for this edition of "Carolina Curious."
In front of beekeeper Brad Niven's driveway, hundreds of honey bees buzz around a wooden box atop a waist-height stand.
It's a happy sight for Niven. These days, he says, it's been hard to keep his hives thriving. This season, he started out with 16 hives. Now, he has eight.
“One of the worst things that can face a beekeeper is when you open up a hive and you either see no bees or you see dead bees,” he says. “You automatically assume it's your fault.”
It's a reality many beek