Bee bombs

[Apimama]

Sorry if this isn't the appropriate section to post about this, I'm new.

I was wondering what people's opinions were on bee bombs. I would post a link to their website but it won't let me as my post count isn't high enough. Just Google bee bomb.

I have seen them advertised a lot and wondered if any beekeepers here had tried them around their apiaries, and what their thoughts were?

 

[Murox]

Well I had never heard of them before. Looked it up and was not impressed really, just looks like an expensive marketing gimmick to sell plant seeds that pollinators might use. Probably appeals to the "I must and makes me feel good" folk.

 

[Beagle23]

They seem a bit gimmicky. I'm not sure they do anything that a packet of mixed wildflowers seeds wouldn't do.....except cost a bit a more

A few hundred wildflowers will have no impact on an apiary other than making it look nice and probably a good number of the flowers will be specifically for bumbles or other pollinators.

 

[Anduril]

As soon as I saw the title, I thought of this.
https://youtu.be/P8sL3VlmL-U

 

[Ian123]

A packet of mixed wildflower seed will set you back £3.00. But you lot really are grumpy I had images of people driving down the road chucking bee bombs out the window

 

[Anduril]

a good number of the flowers will be specifically for bumbles or other pollinators.

They are more endangered than honeybees. Go back to the 70's & 80's, driving down the motorway with a windscreen covered in dead insects.

 

[Beefriendly]

They are more endangered than honeybees. Go back to the 70's & 80's, driving down the motorway with a windscreen covered in dead insects.

Having to scrub insect debris off my windscreen weekly..And I've not been on a motorway for a while..
Really is a good year for insects. Local glider pilots reporting the same.

 

[Anduril]

Having to scrub insect debris off my windscreen weekly..And I've not been on a motorway for a while..
Really is a good year for insects. Local glider pilots reporting the same.

That's good to know.

 

[Apimama]

But you lot really are grumpy I had images of people driving down the road chucking bee bombs out the window

Haha I must admit the 1st thing that popped I to my head was the mental image of people chucking grenades full of bees about..

I agree they do seem very gimmicky and "trendy". The other year they had big shaker boxes of seeds at home bargains for about a quid. Not sure if they're there this year too.

 

[eltalia]

(edit)
I have seen them advertised a lot and wondered if any beekeepers here had tried them around their apiaries, and what their thoughts were?

.... "clickbait web sites" along with a plethora of measures designed
to feed off another delusionary web engine "save the bees".
Ignore it all.

Bill

 

[highgate]

.... "clickbait web sites" along with a plethora of measures designed

to feed off another delusionary web engine "save the bees".

Ignore it all.



Bill

Agreed.

Looks like someone looking to capitalise on the dual waves of 'save the bees' and use no plastic.

£9 does seem like a lot though.

 

[Newbeeneil]

They are more endangered than honeybees. Go back to the 70's & 80's, driving down the motorway with a windscreen covered in dead insects.

Back in the 70's and 80's cars had the aerodynamics of a brick. No wonder the bees stood no chance.
Today's cars are more likely to push bees aside than splat them!

 

[Anduril]

Back in the 70's and 80's cars had the aerodynamics of a brick. No wonder the bees stood no chance.
Today's cars are more likely to push bees aside than splat them!

There are still modern bricks.

 

[beebopper]

They are more endangered than honeybees. Go back to the 70's & 80's, driving down the motorway with a windscreen covered in dead insects.

There was also far less cars but number of motorways hasn't changed much.

 

[MartinL]

Haha I must admit the 1st thing that popped I to my head was the mental image of people chucking grenades full of bees about.. .

I was wondering what people's opinions were on bee bombs.
?

Back in the 80's the Russians had biological weapons, that exploded freeing a large number of infected bees that basically stung anyone close by with a "biologically enhanced" venom.

Not heard of it since joining the populous!

Back in the 70's and 80's cars had the aerodynamics of a brick. No wonder the bees stood no chance.
Today's cars are more likely to push bees aside than splat them!

I don't think the aerodynamics has much to do with it when you get over 40MPH.

Having hit a bird at 160Kts, I can tell you it's very similar to a fly, just bigger, Louder with a more laxative affect!

 

[B+.]

Just Google bee bomb.

As has already been noted, I immediately thought of Michael Palmers use of the phrase. Then I Googled it and realised you didn't mean this at all.

Let me relay a little story which might help to put this in perspective:
Last year I was concerned to see that a local farmer had ploughed up the headland I used as an access to one of my apiaries. When I asked why he had done this, he said they were putting a 15 metre border of wild flowers around each of the fields. That's great, I thought. My bees would be right in the middle of it and I'd see supers of wildflower honey.
Well, things didn't work out that way. Something went wrong. Instead of beautiful wildflower borders, the seed failed and he had to top the grass that came up instead. This was not just a loss to me but to the farmer who had invested heavily in sowing this "crop". It is possible that he will try again next year but the point of my story is that farming is a risky endeavour. You can do everything right yet still fail. How many of us would put our livelihood on the line to do this?
How does a "bee bomb" compare to a 15 metre border around all the fields? I would say it is very little. Although, if everyone did it, it would mount up. Obviously at a cost though - the company will "ride the coat tails" of this modern phenomenon of trying to turn back time and put something back into the environment that has been lost.
I don't want to end on a low note though. I noticed a bumble bee had made its nest in one of my old nucs at the start of Spring. I left it. Now I have bumble bee workers trying to steal food every time I open a hive. Nature has a way of recovering all by itself.

 

[thedozzer]

Back in the 70's and 80's cars had the aerodynamics of a brick. No wonder the bees stood no chance.
Today's cars are more likely to push bees aside than splat them!

the insect will hit the car, the air will be deflected by a very aerodynamic car as it as vary little directional inertia, but the insect will maintain a directorial inertia so will still crash into the car as it will brake through the boundary layer of laminar air flow.

as for bee bomb, you can buy 1kg of phacelia seeds for £9, you can get an wildflower seed mix 1kg for £36

 

[pargyle]

Having to scrub insect debris off my windscreen weekly..And I've not been on a motorway for a while..
Really is a good year for insects. Local glider pilots reporting the same.

Not cleaned my car for three weeks .. been all over the place in a radius of about 50 miles from the Costa del Fareham .. Motorways, A roads, country lanes ... hardly any noticeable insects on my windscreen apart from a single Maybug that frightened me to death when it impacted. I've not had a word with the local gliders ..I don't usually mix in such elevated circles !

As a youngster, in Yorkshire in 1960's, I couldn't drive 20 miles down the A1 at this time of the year without having to clean the screen.

Perhaps we've buggered up the flying insect population in the South of the country more than in the Northern climes ?

 

[Beefriendly]

Either that or you drive at the speed of an old lady.....

 

[Anduril]

Either that or you drive at the speed of an old lady.....

Are you a boy racer? [emoji6]

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk