Bees & Pesticides

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Thought this was interesting. The Vendée imposed a voluntary ban on neonicotinoid pesticide a few years back, despite being told by the agrochem industry and central government that there was no scientific justification for it, and bee numbers rocketed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... anger-bees

[Jandra]

That is certainly interesting! Out with the neonicotinoids and hurray for the bees.

[Odsox]

That makes a lot of sense.
Living in the back of beyond where the only agriculture is beef and dairy, so only grass fields, I am always overwhelmed with bumble bees of all sizes and colours, with a smattering of honey bees as well.
I have always wondered about that when I read all the doom and gloom about the imminent extinction of the human race due to lack of pollinating insects.

[Millymollymandy]

I'll be fine here too Tony

I don't understand this paragraph:

"only uses on crops not attractive to honeybees were considered acceptable" because of exposure through nectar and pollen. Such crops include oil seed rape, corn and sunflowers.

Are they saying those crops are or are not attractive to honeybees? Corn is wind pollinated but that's not to say pollinating insects may find it attractive (I've never noticed) and that bumble bees adore sunflowers, or do bumble bees not count? What are about the gazillions of hoverflies, solitary bees and solitary wasps? I have far more pollinating insects of other kinds in my garden than honey bees and they are all doing the job nicely.

[Millymollymandy]

Aaargh even here I'm getting ads for Canon Speedlites because I've been researching which one to get. And now it's advertising Andorra because I've been researching the Pyrenees (not Andorra!) for birdwatching!

I suppose it makes a change from those nice Asian ladies.

Still don't understand why the ads think I need to lose weight though.