Bees on Countryfile.

[Russel]

Hi Guys,
There's a piece on Bees "language" BBC One's Countryfile tonight @18.30.

Countryfile linky

"Ellie’s been meeting up with Professor Francis Ratnieks and his team at Sussex University to discover the language bees. They’re able to understand the bees’ unique form of communication in the hive which is known as the ‘Waggle Dance’. This is the way bees are able to tell the rest of the hive where to find food. The professor and his team decode the direction and length of the dance which corresponds to where they have found a reliable source of pollen and nectar. It’s hoped this information will then inform landowners what, where and when to plant and that this will help the bee population survive long into 21st Century."

 

[oliver90owner]

"help the bee population survive long into 21st Century."

Doesn't sound too promising, then, the outlook at present. If this work will only keep them going until the later part of the 21st century. Been around millions of years and the prognosis is they need this help to survive another 90 years?

Does someone here actually recognise and know the damage we humans are doing to the planet ecology? Or is it just poor presentation?

Write/say what you mean and mean what you write!

Regards, RAB

 

[Heather]

I am so annoyed at this research. They have been given £36,000 over 3 years for research- and they are investigating the waggle dance!!

We are losing queens within a year - the hive life is disrupted - and we are scratching our heads as to why. Queens used to last 2-3 years and now some maybe 3 months. They swarm, new queen mates - seems good- than wham supercedure. Why!! And they are investigating the waggle dance.- WAKE UP and smell the coffee. Dont waste OUR money

Maybe pesticides- OOPS- dont want to expose that fact

 

[Black Comb]

Why don't they spend the money on varroa research?

Suppose the waggle dance is a sexier sounding project.

They are not being very scientific in their research decisions.

As if landowners will take any notice!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Or spend the money on researching what is going wrong with the drones,regarding chemicals put in by beekeepers, and the one's sprayed around the countryside....and the completely stupid habit of culling them to try and control varroa.

 

[RoofTops]

The University of Sussex research is nothing about the waggle dance. Don't believe the BBC. They are investigating exactly the sort of the things listed above.

You can get a feel for what they up to here: http://www.warmwell.com/beepage.html

Onme of the links on this page is this: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/327/5962/152

You can't se the whole paper but what it says and having heard Norman Carreck speak, "CCD" in all its forms is their main focus.

 

[Dishmop]

I seem to remember that the said same research results were published in the 70's...

 

[Dishmop]

Does someone here actually recognise and know the damage we humans are doing to the planet ecology? Or is it just poor presentation?

I am sure that they do but the priority seems to be to prosecute motorists for illegal parking......

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Or spend the money on researching what is going wrong with the drones,regarding chemicals put in by beekeepers, and the one's sprayed around the countryside....and the completely stupid habit of culling them to try and control varroa.

And also what beekeepers are doing to their hives, to many silly mistakes.

Addtionaly these so called surveys are quite pointless, not getting the true + / - of beekeeping i.e splits (nucs sold /given away) and combines

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

The University of Sussex research is nothing about the waggle dance. Don't believe the BBC. They are investigating exactly the sort of the things listed above.

You can get a feel for what they up to here: http://www.warmwell.com/beepage.html

Onme of the links on this page is this: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/327/5962/152

You can't se the whole paper but what it says and having heard Norman Carreck speak, "CCD" in all its forms is their main focus.

Comm'n guys this is the BBC - science at the lowest possible level - Jeremy Clarkson strapping fire extinguishers to a bed frame is research. At least Bees are in the news with the general public and their importance to the whole of agriculture is being promoted.

 

[Dishmop]

Air pollution is less now than it was inthe 40/50's.

Who on here has ever seen smog?



Seen the sun blocked out by smoke from power stations,

all the pollution we had from industry....

well, a lot of that has gone because we dont have any industry in the UK.

Not saying there isnt a problem but agree with "what is being done"

How many kids 50 years ago had asthma compared with now... allergies????


Havent heard a lot about he ozone layer lately. Or is a cloned cow better headlines?

Encourage forest farmers in south America to grow sugar cane for benzine (is it?) production. Fine, so the farmers hack half a forest down.... How long can you grow the same crop in the same field year after year?

Trees absord pollution.......... so why not plant trees beside all the roads.. which would/should save fuel because of less wind resistance to vehicles, all the top soil wouldnt keep getting blown off the fields...

Drought? Who saw the bloke on TV growing potatoes for export to the UK?

and where was he growing them..... in the desert........

Plenty of water in the sea. Only need desalination plants..... keep the sea level from rising,, water goes back into the ground etc etc...

 

[tonybloke]

Trees absord pollution.......... so why not plant trees beside all the roads.. which would/should save fuel because of less wind resistance to vehicles, all the top soil wouldnt keep getting blown off the fields...

erm, Norwich southern by-pass is very well planted with trees, and wildflowers, although I admit other parts of the country could do with more trees, especially fruit and nut trees.

 

[Heather]

I still say the BBKA has wasted loads of our money on stupid research projects. Why is there no challenge from members??? We just accept and drift on. Time to investigate more thoroughly and ask for explanations.

 

[Dishmop]

If you are a member,, ask to see the eaccounts...

 

[Heather]

Am. Seen..Not on 2009.. will look in September-

 

[chrischris]

Comm'n guys this is the BBC - science at the lowest possible level - Jeremy Clarkson strapping fire extinguishers to a bed frame is research. At least Bees are in the news with the general public and their importance to the whole of agriculture is being promoted.

As a new beekeeper I have noticed that most farms around here seem to spray there crops several times a year, the final spray seems to enhance the crops to ripen/die off, they also spray the field edges to kill off the weeds and plants that would benifit insects and bees. The farmers need educating there actions are contributing to bee loss and colony collapse, there interest is only in producing a good yield this will come back to bite them.

 

[BERNIE]

just watched country file.and a bit bemused by what you are saying heather,as to the amount of money they have for there research and what we are being shown in the program, regarding what they have learnt,read ted hopper guide to bees and honey p42 to p46 fifth edition and he telling the same thing how ever many years ago he wrote this book.what are they doing with the money.if they are going to spend this sort of money, research something we don't already know.and help the honey bee.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Air pollution is less now than it was inthe 40/50's.

Who on here has ever seen smog?


.

ME


well, being an old groan, i remember getting off a number 35 tram with my mum at Manor House , finsbury park North London in 1952 and the smog was yellow thick at 4,00 in the afternoon

we sat in the lower saloon of a 679 Trolleybus and you could not see the other end of the saloon, took two hours to get to tottenham, with the trolleybus conductor walking in front of the trolleybus with a burning torch,,,,,now that was pollution

 

[jezd]

The University of Sussex research is nothing about the waggle dance. Don't believe the BBC. They are investigating exactly the sort of the things listed above.

You can get a feel for what they up to here: http://www.warmwell.com/beepage.html

Onme of the links on this page is this: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/327/5962/152

You can't se the whole paper but what it says and having heard Norman Carreck speak, "CCD" in all its forms is their main focus.

Sorry but this is simply not true, I was an invited guest at the university just a couple of months ago and so much of what they do is about the waggle dance and working as PR machine, its an absolute fact that the student team is spending a huge amount of their time looking at just the waggle dance and its analysis. I could not understand it.

Their entire lab is built around just that subject, video recording and then systems to take measurements.

I was so disappointed with the work they are doing down their, such a shame - imho its all about funding, and individuals status and careers.

Not sure how Heather knows this but she is bang on the money re the waggle dance work (I missed the BBC program).

Sorry but its true.

Jez

PS much of their analysis is fatally flawed, using mini nucs (2-3 frame) for serious analysis demonstrates little regards the workings of a full strong colony

 

[BERNIE]

me to 1990 california. there 3 days before i realized surrounded by mountains.