What is happening in Sweden?

[Moobee]

Did anyone read this post? Sounds a bit grim for wild bees. On The Domestication of the Honey Bee

 

[Boston Bees]

It's 99% absolute ecogibberish. This is pretty inevitable from someone who can't bear to use the word "colony" and has to talk about "superorganisms" instead.

We've been attempting to select non swarmy bees for a hundred years, but the buggers still seem perfectly intent on swarming to me.

The bit about Sweden killing large numbers of wild colonies is certainly worrying, but thankfully they seem to have stopped doing that based on the chart. The author provides no data on how many wild colonies remain, but I suspect quite a few, given how bees spread.

 

[Wilco]

Not sure how convinced I am... Wild bees that swarm more will be at an advantage to those that swarm less. Might explain why @Into the lions den has so much incursion from ferals.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Did anyone read this post? Sounds a bit grim for wild bees. On The Domestication of the Honey Bee

sounds like the usual rubbish generated by the usual rubbish
What absolute balderdash

 

[user 20297]

The article sounds a bit alarmist, but we should bear in mind that the author's thoughts are influenced by the country where they live.
I disagree that each bee "merely represent the equivalent of cells in multicellular animals". Bees are not clones of each other and each has slightly different "take"on helping the colony to survive.
But there are many interesting and thoughtful points made in that long essay.
A thinking beekeeper should find plenty of intellectual nourishment within the piece.

 

[Boston Bees]

The article sounds a bit alarmist, but we should bear in mind that the author's thoughts are influenced by the country where they live.
I disagree that each bee "merely represent the equivalent of cells in multicellular animals". Bees are not clones of each other and each has slightly different "take"on helping the colony to survive.
But there are many interesting and thoughtful points made in that long essay.
A thinking beekeeper should find plenty of intellectual nourishment within the piece.

Which bits did you find intellectually nourishing?

 

[user 20297]

Which bits did you find intellectually nourishing?

Probably, all the bits which you don't.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

there are many interesting and thoughtful points made in that long essay

not really.
a 'thinking beekeeper' would quickly smoke that it's just the usual emotive hand wringing and cherry picking of facts from other studies

 

[Boston Bees]

Probably, all the bits which you don't.

Could you be more specific? I'm interested to know which bits you found that filled in blanks in your intellectual knowledge of beekeeping and bees?

 

[madasafish]

I read as far as:
" These changes render the domestic silk moth incapable of persisting without its domesticator. Luckily for the wild silk moth, the domestic stock is reproductively isolated, thereby limiting the spread of such detrimental traits "

They may be detrimental to the wild moth, but for the domesticated moth, they encourage man to keep it alive.

There are always two sides to every story...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Which bits did you find intellectually nourishing?

depends whether you like snacking on bullshine

 

[user 20297]

Could you be more specific? I'm interested to know which bits you found filled in blanks in your intellectual development?

It will be those bits of my intellectual development where you are already more fully developed than me.

 

[Boston Bees]

It will be those bits of my intellectual development where you are already more fully developed than me.

In that case, perhaps ease up with the pops about "thinking beekeepers".

 

[user 20297]

In that case, perhaps ease up with the pops about "thinking beekeepers".

Are you saying I don't think?

 

[Boston Bees]

Are you saying I don't think?

Perhaps not critically enough

 

[user 20297]

Perhaps not critically enough, no.

You're right...maybe mind is a bit too open; keeps my head cool though.

 

[Boston Bees]

You're right...maybe mind is a bit too open; keeps my head cool though.

It's good to have an open mind, but as you get more years of beekeeping under your belt you will develop some filters to spot bullshit when you see it. That won't make you a "non-thinking" beekeeper, just one with more knowledge.

 

[user 20297]

It's good to have an open mind, but as you get more years of beekeeping under your belt you will develop some filters to spot bullshit when you see it. That won't make you a "non-thinking" beekeeper, just one with more knowledge.

I'm sure you're right; I just hope my filters retain a wider mesh than some.

 

[Boston Bees]

I'm sure you're right; I just hope my filters retain a wider mesh than some.

Sadly, I suspect they will.

 

[user 20297]

Sadly, I suspect they will.

With your normal astuteness, I guess you are regretting that many peoples' filters will continue to be clogged with detritus?