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Thread: A battle is raging....apparently!

  1. #21

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    Lots of flowers willows hazel snowdrops early on then lots of weeds dandilions, trees, Rose bay willow herb, Hogweed, thistles, etc. which grow on my bit + all the flowering stuff in the big estate
    Balsam later in year.
    Last year they mainly foraged in the supers and ate the whole lot
    I have the microscope off the top of the cupboard again for the nosema checks so might do some pollen sampling this year

  2. #22
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Default A battle is raging

    Wouldn't it be nice to settle the neonicitionid debate like this?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcSMaNlcDPs

  3. #23
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by the drone ranger View Post
    last year they mainly foraged in the supers ...
    lol

  4. #24
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    I watched a farming program produced in 1965. It quoted a 50% decline in insect life then. From where it was in the 1940s. Attributed to loss of habitat and insecticides.

    One of the unforseen consequences of a neonics ban is likely be some reduction in yields and therefore to further pressure to plough up more countryside. (the same pressure exists with a growing UK and world population.

    So I doubt whether a neonics ban will make any noticeable difference.


    Living on the edge of town with fields and woods nearby, we have lots of birds - and an increasing raptor population - lots of foxes and badgers and LOTS of flying insects. the bat population bear that out.

    No OSR within 10 miles as a minimum. Nor any ploughed fields either but human population pressure means more and more houses with minimal gardens being built on unspoiled rough land And marshes drained. All bad for all wildlife especially insects.


    If the anti neonics campaign had wider horizons.. but it's the "one big push and we'll save the bee" attitude. Any semi competent observer can see habitat depletion is a bigger problem.

  5. #25

    Default A battle is raging....apparently!

    WELL DAID THAT MAN!
    VM


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by worm View Post
    Well, I started early,worked all day, and am still prepared to post now. Zealot, idiot, call me what you will, you should read Graham's piece.
    Why should I read it? he just copies and pastes stuff with the odd bit of highlighting.

    It's interesting that he now appears to be an official spokesman for Friends of the Bees and more so that their only action so far is to bemoan beekeeping, and other, organisations for not toeing their line in campaigning against Bayer.

    Here isn't the place to raise some legitimate concerns about that organisation but I'm all ears as to why I should pay any attention to him.

  7. #27

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    I was looking at earlier threads where the survey East to West results were given
    Not being a member I wasn't aware of the survey (didn't take part either )
    I wonder if the swarming and rapid spring build up in the East had an effect
    Also the varroa treatment regimes seem different I don't hear of much formic acid use unlike the West
    On the whole though I would expect 5% losses unless I am taking colonies into Winter which I know I shouldn't

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Neils View Post
    Why should I read it? he just copies and pastes stuff with the odd bit of highlighting.

    It's interesting that he now appears to be an official spokesman for Friends of the Bees and more so that their only action so far is to bemoan beekeeping, and other, organisations for not toeing their line in campaigning against Bayer.

    Here isn't the place to raise some legitimate concerns about that organisation but I'm all ears as to why I should pay any attention to him.
    Chiefly for the quality of the writing and the mixture of personal observations with reflections on the causes of the environmental changes he describes.
    It's obviously up to any reader to evaluate any conclusions he makes or suggests, but to fob off pieces such as http://www.gdriveurl.com/?idl=813645622675&out=1 as just bemoaning beekeeping, or not worth reading, is a mistake. (IMHO ha,ha...)
    Last edited by worm (JTF3); 08-04-2013 at 03:04 PM.

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by Adam View Post
    Wouldn't it be nice to settle the neonicitionid debate like this?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcSMaNlcDPs
    That's one way. Here's another:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cjRGee5ipM

  10. #30
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Are you trying to say that we should be doing nothing to protect endangered species? Great Yellows anyone?!

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