EU/GB Bee shortage....

[roche]

Interesting link - apparently the UK has the second highest shortage of honey bees...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25656283

 

[itma]

Shortage for crop pollination.

In the countryside.

Unfortunately, most of the bee-friendly habitat-improvement planting advice seems to be directed at townies.
Not at countryside 'stakeholders'.

Well, its not at all unfortunate for us urban and suburban beekeepers, but it doesn't address the problems of the countryside.

 

[pargyle]

Shortage for crop pollination.

In the countryside.

Unfortunately, most of the bee-friendly habitat-improvement planting advice seems to be directed at townies.
Not at countryside 'stakeholders'.

Well, its not at all unfortunate for us urban and suburban beekeepers, but it doesn't address the problems of the countryside.

You only have to look at the changes in UK agriculture to understand what is happening:

Orchards ... commercial orchards rapidly becoming extinct in the UK in places like Kent, traditionally the orchard of England.

Soft fruit - Raspberries/Strawberries etc. grown less and less commercially in favour of foreign imports from places that grow them 365 days a year.

Hedgerows - Dug up to make bigger, easier to handle, more economic fields.

Meadows - non-grass plants selectively 'weed' killed to provide 'clean' hay.

Clover fields in crop rotation - Gone in favour of quick growing 'green manure'.

Glasshouse and polycloche growing - restricts pollinators from plants they may have previously used.

Monoculture and selective weeding.

Hedgerows beaten to death by mechanical flails rather than being traditionally layered.

And that's all without the general threat from pesticides etc. Not even going there today.

Is there any wonder ???

 

[MartinL]

Interesting link - apparently the UK has the second highest shortage of honey bees...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25656283

Don't think mine are any shorter than in previous years!

 

[Chris B]

Whatever difficulty honeybees now face, the media seem totally unable to grasp the fact that the honeybee population is dependent purely on whether people keep bees or not. We split colonies when we want more and unite them when we want less.

 

[Itchy]

You only have to look at the changes in UK agriculture to understand what is happening:

Orchards ... commercial orchards rapidly becoming extinct in the UK in places like Kent, traditionally the orchard of England.

Soft fruit - Raspberries/Strawberries etc. grown less and less commercially in favour of foreign imports from places that grow them 365 days a year.

Hedgerows - Dug up to make bigger, easier to handle, more economic fields.

Meadows - non-grass plants selectively 'weed' killed to provide 'clean' hay.

Clover fields in crop rotation - Gone in favour of quick growing 'green manure'.

Glasshouse and polycloche growing - restricts pollinators from plants they may have previously used.

Monoculture and selective weeding.

Hedgerows beaten to death by mechanical flails rather than being traditionally layered.

And that's all without the general threat from pesticides etc. Not even going there today.

Is there any wonder ???

Absolutely agree.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

From what I know I agree with Pargyle, but I don't know very much. I am spared these issues on Heat Island, obviously. Are any of the field- margin set-aside and other programs helping?

 

[Hivemaker.]

You only have to look at the changes in UK agriculture to understand what is happening:

Orchards ... commercial orchards rapidly becoming extinct in the UK in places like Kent, traditionally the orchard of England.

Soft fruit - Raspberries/Strawberries etc. grown less and less commercially in favour of foreign imports from places that grow them 365 days a year.

Hedgerows - Dug up to make bigger, easier to handle, more economic fields.

Meadows - non-grass plants selectively 'weed' killed to provide 'clean' hay.

Clover fields in crop rotation - Gone in favour of quick growing 'green manure'.

Glasshouse and polycloche growing - restricts pollinators from plants they may have previously used.

Monoculture and selective weeding.

Hedgerows beaten to death by mechanical flails rather than being traditionally layered.

Does not seem to be happening around here, with the National trust, within the National park, it seems to be a pollinator paradise.

 

[pargyle]

Does not seem to be happening around here, with the National trust, within the National park, it seems to be a pollinator paradise.

Yes ... we have a lot to thank the vision that created the National Trust and the National Parks for.

I travelled the country quite a lot for about 30 years and it was evident over the years the changes that were taking place - particularly in the predominantly 'agricultural' counties. I doubt that this 'progress' could have been stopped any more than it can be halted now.

Farmers I know are very conscious of the need to provide natural habitats and I see their efforts with set aside and the field margin initiative being a lifeline for some of our wildlife but it may be too little too late. I would stress that I don't hold farmers entirely responsible - they have, over the years, responded to the pressures put on them to produce and make a profit under some intense pressure from the likes of the major supermarkets in latter years. However, the Min of Ag during WWII was probably as responsible for the start of our present problems as much as anyone is.....

 

[madasafish]

With our population growing, population pressure = more food needed. (Unless we significantly reduce food waste and slim down all the fatties - which is only going to happen with huge price increases unmatched by wage increases- so at least the Government are getting that right... WTG..)

So pressure on pollinators is likely to increase unless we adopt GM foods.

 

[pargyle]

So pressure on pollinators is likely to increase unless we adopt GM foods.

Don't need GM - Just need a few more of these ....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24507714

I was there and saw it ... dead ringer for Jabba the Hutt ..

Or these:

http://heirloomtomatoplants.com/The Biggest Tomatoes!.htm

 

[Hivemaker.]

Does not seem to be happening around here, with the National trust, within the National park, it seems to be a pollinator paradise.

And numerous SSSI for butterfly's, beetles, all sorts of bugs, lizards,snakes, and even Dippers, of all things.

 

[mbc]

Whatever difficulty honeybees now face, the media seem totally unable to grasp the fact that the honeybee population is dependent purely on whether people keep bees or not. We split colonies when we want more and unite them when we want less.

I would say the population booms and busts according to the seasons, most beekeepers wont go out of their way to fill empty equipment without nature providing the incentive with swarming bees. Of course, this changes with commercial beekeepers needing to make their equipment pay .

With our population growing, population pressure = more food needed. (Unless we significantly reduce food waste and slim down all the fatties - which is only going to happen with huge price increases unmatched by wage increases- so at least the Government are getting that right... WTG..)

So pressure on pollinators is likely to increase unless we adopt GM foods.

It has been a long, long time since Britain was anything close to self sufficient with regard to what we eat and the pressure in many places in the countryside is more to keep it as a playground than to produce food.

 

[Chris B]

most beekeepers wont go out of their way to fill empty equipment without nature providing the incentive with swarming bees

That's true. But what's also true is that most beekeepers will have bees that want to swarm every year, and it's as much as they can do to keep up with it.

 

[mbc]

That's true. But what's also true is that most beekeepers will have bees that want to swarm every year, and it's as much as they can do to keep up with it.

Many lost the lot last winter, dead bees dont swarm.

 

[Chris B]

Many lost the lot last winter, dead bees dont swarm.

Apart from Carniolans. Nothing stops them!

 

[mbc]

Apart from Carniolans. Nothing stops them!

Lol.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Many lost the lot last winter, dead bees dont swarm.

Plenty of cheap imported package bees available every year, to temporarily fill the gap, all we need to do is work on the government, and get them to pay for them as well, like they do in some other countries.

 

[Michael Palmer]

all we need to do is work on the government, and get them to pay for them as well, like they do in some other countries.

Where does the queue begin?

 

[mbc]

I was there and saw it ... dead ringer for Jabba the Hutt ..