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Thread: I wonder.

  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greengage View Post
    Ill read it later But my radar goes on alert when some of these NGOs launch reports as they have an agenda.."
    There's govt. organisations involved in compiling the report too, if that makes you feel better. The likes of Natural resources Wales and their Scottish,English and Irish equivalents, plus of course the RSPB and most other wildlife and conservation groups.
    So I suppose they do have a combined agenda, that of conservation. Since that's one that every living thing bar those profiteering from exploiting the planet/environment shares. I don't think it skews the truth on this occasion. It's simply an audit of biodiversity, an account of its reduction and assessment of the causes and consequences of further reduction( in this case the possible collapse of the UK ecosystem).
    It's a model that works especially well in Britain, the first of the industrialised nations, with a large population per square mile. We are a great early warning system for the rest of the world.
    I'm stunned you think there's a lack of experts on the subject of conservation, I seem to be tripping over them lately .
    Last edited by SDM; 15-09-2016 at 06:29 AM.

  2. #12
    Senior Member Greengage's Avatar
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    An expert is a person who knows everything about something and nothing about everything else.
    I myself have met a lot of beemasters lately, well they have the papers to confirm it and the media keep reminding the rest of us mortals. please bow before the beemaster.

  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by SDM View Post
    I would say that Beekeepers tendencies to move bees to nectar sources like balsam is certainly contributory.
    I've even known of a Beekeeper who moved the balsam to him.
    Maybe everyone knows this but Himalayan balsalm is an invasive non-native plant pest species. It occurs mainly along river and stream banks. Since it shades out most other native species in these habitats (ie, reduces plant species diversity), surely beekeepers should not be encouraged to contribute to its long-term spread for (dubious?) short-term nectar supplies?

  4. #14

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    I've had the opposite experience with the ones I've met. Both are advisors to NRW one is a retired botany professor, who retired to become a commercial Beekeeper. He advises NRW on planting matters, who's wife is an evolutionary and molecular geneticist who played a big part in the mapping of all lindigeonous welsh plants and has bees near me on several sites.
    The other a retired entomology professor ( through old age) who just happened to be the only house near a patch of heather and happily has my bees on his land now. He advises nrw on biodiversity and carried out the survey in a few of their local forests( non Beekeeper)
    Both seem pretty clued up full stop. I certainly learned more about bees in the first few hours of meeting the entomologist than I had in the last few years.
    Both seem to manage to be capable and sociable human beings too, which to accept your point, does seem to be the exception.
    Back on track sort of, tk the whole farming practices thing and loss of habitat. I agree with some of the farmers comments that progress has been made on field boundary areas etc. but it was made on the back of EU conservation subsidies. I've been told these subsidies will stop in 2020. I don't see farmers giving up 20% of their farms once they're not being paid for it.

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    Senior Member Greengage's Avatar
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  6. #16

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    If you spray a field the overspray just drifts over the field boundaries
    So planting a strip of grass and nectar plants along a field boundary is not ideal
    Well that's how it seems to me
    After the neonic ban the crops grown round here are more diverse
    It was just rape , grain, potatoes now already there are far more crops being grown
    Plus there are more cows and sheep showing up in fields


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  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by alancooper View Post
    Maybe everyone knows this but Himalayan balsalm is an invasive non-native plant pest species. It occurs mainly along river and stream banks. Since it shades out most other native species in these habitats (ie, reduces plant species diversity), surely beekeepers should not be encouraged to contribute to its long-term spread for (dubious?) short-term nectar supplies?
    Yeah its very invasive. Here in Germany they are rife along woodland boundries. I think they fire their seeds up to 5m so spread merrily without much help. The upside for beeks is they provide an excellent late crop for that the bees can overwinter on very well. Some years you do not need any winter feed at all. So I can see a beeks motivation for leaving / planting them.
    The environmental protection agency habitually has a purge to get rid of them. Their seeds are very tasty by the way - taste nutty.

  8. #18
    Senior Member Greengage's Avatar
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    I came across this from June 2016
    have not found the full report nor do I speak Norwegian http://sciencenordic.com/wild-bees-lose-fight-flowers

  9. #19
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    After Calum's comment I had back-up from one of the helpers at a bee workshop by the river Tay. He nibbles on young HB pods rather than seeds. Since then I've been contributing to the conservation effort by eating a few every time I see them - a few pods amongst the millions at these sites. Tasty enough but not worth travelling for.

    There has been a steady if unremarkable flow from HB around here in recent weeks. A half super here and there, nucs that have readied themselves for winter. Yesterday at one site the two nucs which had remained there were piling the stuff in whereas the hives back from the heather last week were sitting quietly. Perhaps they'd been out earlier and the nucs were chancing it, getting back home shortly before the heavens opened.

    At that same workshop someone said there was a conservation effort to eliminate HB on a river island I think, just to see what happened. That's about all that can be done - it is so widespread and abundant it is clearly an alien here to stay.

  10. #20

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    I've seen it successfully cleared from several sites and since it can and would infest most of the uk if given the chance it's not one to give up on eradicating.

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