Bees

[Davy stephenson]

Removed by author

[contadino]

I live in la France profonde and when I visit England I go to the countryside, so no I'm not seeing any Victorian or Georgian avenues and I am not disputing what (they say) is happening elsewhere in the world. I am saying that what I see cannot be refuted. And what I see is good! So it is not all doom and gloom.

So what you're saying is that CCD was all fabricated on the basis that you splatted a load of miscellaneous insects whilst driving in the UK? You're saying that commercial use of pesticides have no effect on bee health because you had some bees hanging around your PSB? Give me strength.....

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Well, I dunno.

This year we seem to have a lot more bees than in the last couple of years, both domesticated and wild. While I was mouching around the raspberry patch yesterday eveing I counted five types of wild bees including several carpenter bees.

Mobile phone reception here, by the by, is appaling. Not that I have one.

Birds too seem to be better this year. Lots of goldfinches and redstarts for some reason.

I did read of some interesting work being done on the use insects make of previously unregarded hydrocarbon chemical messengers. Given the amount of hydrocarbons being belched unburnt from car engines (until the cat convs warm up) it did occur to me that this might have something to do with the strange behaviours that have been observed. Is it beyond the bounds of possibility that bees get misled and never make it home again?

[contadino]

Is it beyond the bounds of possibility that bees get misled and never make it home again?

The link I posted up was to a research paper from Toulouse University that concluded that pesticides caused bees to become disorientated and get lost. These pesticides included neonicotinoid-based chemicals, which were banned by Italy and Germany 2 years ago. Both Germany and Italy have seen increases in the numbers of bees, and declines in reported cases of CCD. France has placed stringent restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid-based pesticides, which could explain why you're seeing more bees this year.

The UK.....well.....clearly agrochemical companies are more important than wildlife in the UK.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Is it beyond the bounds of possibility that bees get misled and never make it home again?

France has placed stringent restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid-based pesticides, which could explain why you're seeing more bees this year.

Oh the apiculteurs here are very, very happy about the controls on neonicotioids, but the hydrocarbon thing is another angle. I'll see if I can find the links for you, if you are interested.

[Millymollymandy]

I live in la France profonde and when I visit England I go to the countryside, so no I'm not seeing any Victorian or Georgian avenues and I am not disputing what (they say) is happening elsewhere in the world. I am saying that what I see cannot be refuted. And what I see is good! So it is not all doom and gloom.

So what you're saying is that CCD was all fabricated on the basis that you splatted a load of miscellaneous insects whilst driving in the UK? You're saying that commercial use of pesticides have no effect on bee health because you had some bees hanging around your PSB? Give me strength.....

Huh? I'm only saying what I said and as you are not here where I live you cannot argue with what I see.

[contadino]

I live in la France profonde and when I visit England I go to the countryside, so no I'm not seeing any Victorian or Georgian avenues and I am not disputing what (they say) is happening elsewhere in the world. I am saying that what I see cannot be refuted. And what I see is good! So it is not all doom and gloom.

So what you're saying is that CCD was all fabricated on the basis that you splatted a load of miscellaneous insects whilst driving in the UK? You're saying that commercial use of pesticides have no effect on bee health because you had some bees hanging around your PSB? Give me strength.....

Huh? I'm only saying what I said and as you are not here where I live you cannot argue with what I see.

I'm saying that your conclusions are stupid.

[Millymollymandy]

Oh dear! I wasn't aware that I'd come to any conclusions, or that I was saying what YOU said I was saying! You put words into my mouth and then declare that they are stupid!!! How apt!

[Shutsumon]

I don't know about agrochemicals or such like but I know there are plenty of bees in my garden and my neighbours gardens this year. We were admiring some earlier while chatting and commented there seem to be more this year.

Then again the neighbours have deliberately planted bee friendly plants so that could be it.

Becky

[Sasha]

You have probably a beekeeper in your neighborhood. Or a swarm of bees.