Bee decline already having dramatic effect on pollination

Kieran · Post by **Kieran** » 06 Sep 2010, 12:15

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/scie ... lants.html

"Researchers have found that pollination levels of some plants have dropped by up to 50 per cent in the last two decades.

The "pollination deficit" could see a dramatic reduction in the yield from crops."

frank_begbie · Post by **frank_begbie** » 06 Sep 2010, 19:25

Some 35 per cent of our diet depends on pollination of crops by bees and it is often said that if bees died out, humans would follow just four years later, a view sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... ecies.html

caspian · Post by **caspian** » 07 Sep 2010, 09:47

frank_begbie wrote:Some 35 per cent of our diet depends on pollination of crops by bees and it is often said that if bees died out, humans would follow just four years later, a view sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein.

It's almost certain he didn't say that, particularly as it's a false and unnecessarily alarmist statement. Bees are important pollinators, for sure, and we should be trying to reverse their current decline, but they are just one of many different pollinators, and are unlikely to be critical to humankind's survival.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 07 Sep 2010, 11:45

Einstein was pretty good on theoretical physics and cosmology. Dunno about his bee-keeping.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 07 Sep 2010, 15:22

caspian wrote: Bees are important pollinators, for sure, and we should be trying to reverse their current decline, but they are just one of many different pollinators, and are unlikely to be critical to humankind's survival.

We've noticed a huge decline in hover flies, another important pollinator, as well as bees. We live in an area of low chemical use as well: none on our land and not much elsewhere for a considerable distance in some directions.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 07 Sep 2010, 15:44

Our garden has a wonderful array of different bees but it is a lonely oasis in the midst of a desert of #07b90b.

Tawney · Post by **Tawney** » 29 Oct 2010, 19:24

Could this bee the way ahead?

The joys of urban beekeeping

The British Beekeepers Association has reported a huge increase in membership over the last few years, fuelled mainly by a rise in young, urban beekeepers. Yesterday its first national honey study of beekeepers suggested those beekeepers harvested 3.5 pounds of honey this summer. Some are doing it to green our cities or to produce more locally grown food, others are concerned about the plight of pollinators and want to do something to help. Many of them are women. We have discovered a community of new apiarists across the capital and in other cities, such as Newcastle, where the city council is promoting beekeeping.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/b ... beekeeping

madibe · Post by **madibe** » 29 Oct 2010, 20:29

Had to pollinate by hand this year...

frank_begbie · Post by **frank_begbie** » 12 Feb 2011, 12:39

caspian wrote:
frank_begbie wrote:Some 35 per cent of our diet depends on pollination of crops by bees and it is often said that if bees died out, humans would follow just four years later, a view sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein.
It's almost certain he didn't say that, particularly as it's a false and unnecessarily alarmist statement. Bees are important pollinators, for sure, and we should be trying to reverse their current decline, but they are just one of many different pollinators, and are unlikely to be critical to humankind's survival.

frank_begbie · Post by **frank_begbie** » 12 Feb 2011, 12:40

maudibe wrote:Had to pollinate by hand this year...

I think we all do a bit of that now and again

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 12 Feb 2011, 13:23

Don't forget that you can help the solitary bees, not just honey bees.

Bees like the red and blue mason bees are very good pollinators. They don't damage buildings, their name comes from their habit of building mud walls to protect their offspring. All they need is a bundle of reeds / bamboo or a large lump of sandy clay in a sunny position.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 12 Mar 2011, 07:13

The Independent - 11/03/11

The mysterious collapse of honey-bee colonies is becoming a global phenomenon, scientists working for the United Nations have revealed.

Declines in managed bee colonies, seen increasingly in Europe and the US in the past decade, are also now being observed in China and Japan and there are the first signs of African collapses from Egypt, according to the report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Article continues ...

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 12 Mar 2011, 07:43

After the 1st and 2nd world wars and also after the Spanish flu outbreak there were a large percentage increase in the birth of males. This is unexplainable but shows there is a balancing force in operations. Maybe the bee decline is part of that force and is trying to tell us something.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 12 Mar 2011, 07:47

Or maybe some people are reluctant to admit that neonicotinoid pesticides are a bad idea.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 12 Mar 2011, 07:49

ziggy12345 wrote:After the 1st and 2nd world wars and also after the Spanish flu outbreak there were a large percentage increase in the birth of males. This is unexplainable but shows there is a balancing force in operations. Maybe the bee decline is part of that force and is trying to tell us something.

Bee populations are currently thriving in urban environments.

IMO, this suggests that the liberal use of pesticides in rural areas is largely responsible for the dramatic decline in numbers.