Honey Bee Disappearances

Discussion in 'Conversations Forum' started by Aussiebob, Mar 19, 2007.

  1. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Location:
    Lancashire , England
    There would'nt be much of a future without the bees to polinate flowers, trees, fruit, and veg plants.

    A bit like no trees no oxygen.
     
  2. dino

    dino Active Member

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    Location:
    St-Albert, Alberta
  3. WesternWilson

    WesternWilson Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Tsawwassen, BC, Canada
    Some hope:
    http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/09/12/bee-native-plants.html

    In my small subdivision, nestled in Tsawwassen, BC, we have to sign a covenant (that most people ignore) that asks us to make a sincere effort to incorporate native plants in our landscaping.

    This has been really fun for me, although native plants are often hard to find (except at the UBC Botanical Garden's annual native plant sale!). I have noticed that the Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium) varieties are a big favourite with the bees, ditto the Centranthus ruber (Red Valerian). Other huge favourites with the bees are catmint and Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata I think).


    Across the street is a small (1-2 acre) park that is to be left in its wild state. The wide margin that borders the street is alas mown by a nice neighbour who prefers order and says the high grass bothers his small dog. Nonetheless, he is cooperating with me in quietly "donating" native plants to that strip. So far I had limited myself to trees (yellow cedar, Arbutus menziesii), but I will now look into bee-friendly native flowering plants. Any suggestions??
     
  4. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Location:
    Lancashire , England
    Ah!

    Is a genus of the Aster family. Native of Eastern North America..hmm...I am always looking out for plants that bees love due to a shortage.

    I went onto a small field accross from me because I saw a Thistle in bloom and a few days later I dug some up for my garden...ahahahaha
     
  5. dino

    dino Active Member

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    Location:
    St-Albert, Alberta
    WesternWilson:

    "bee-friendly native flowering plants. Suggestions?"
    Perhaps this, WW?
    http://www.foxleas.com/PDF/Wildflowers in the ga.pdf

    If not, lots more can be Googled: bees + "favourite wild flowers". Notice the page on preferred flower colours.

    Don't forget herbs (thyme, for example, which (I think) Virgil included in his list of faves.

    dino
     
  6. dustylanes

    dustylanes Member

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    Location:
    vancouver canada
    its weird maybe the honey bees themselves are geneticly modified. there a so many wild bees and flying insects in my garden its rediculous, even with resident humming birds and other predatory insects (dragonflys). whats the difference between the wild bees and the domestic ones???? what ever that is, is whats causing this problem.
     
  7. cbale224

    cbale224 Active Member

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    Location:
    Seattle,WA
    We have had several years of decline in the bee population in Seattle. This has been documented and discussed in technical papers. This summer was the first break in the decline and there was a noticable increase in the population.
     
  8. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Location:
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  9. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Location:
    North Bend OR US;Oregon coast, just N of Coos Bay
    bee drought?

    Here in Oregon, we're suffering from a serious lack of honeybees for pollination. Most folks don't leave "hedgerows" anymore (except - oh, those wise English!), so the pre-imports, the true "natural" pollinators have mostly died out for lack of their weedy support plants. We have an awful percentage of hive disease, among the honeybees which have been owned and rented out to orchard owners in season. How is the honeybee incidence where you live?
     
  10. Dana09

    Dana09 Active Member

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    Location:
    Vancouver Island BC
    How about fire weed?
    I'm sure the bees would go for it.
    When I lived in delta, other side of ladner from u, I had it in the garden. it was there when I arrived. Can be invasive with roots going down 4 ft.!
    I never saw hummingbirds there then but a friend who was living in the old Burr house at the old location had a mummified hummy trapped in a window and was forever chasing them out of the house in the '70's. (1 cat same in a wall!)
    Interesting to hear her remember that, as another friend who lives on River road toward Reifel thru Ladner, has no hummies at all now and remembers none being there.

    D
     
  11. Dana09

    Dana09 Active Member

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    Location:
    Vancouver Island BC
    Oh yes, I do know this thread is about bees who pollinate our flowers for foods
    but
    hummies also pollinate my sour cherries, plums, apples , beans........dunno what else in the way of food plants.
    More is the pity that not all of us have hummies in the garden.

    D
     

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