In a message dated 98-02-06 09:18:50 EST, [log in to unmask] (Paul Bashore)
writes:
<< At 06:45 AM 2/6/98 -0500, [log in to unmask] (Curtis Seyfried)
wrote:
>I have read in a book on the decline of amphibians, that there has also
>been a decline in natural bee populations. It is attributed to the
>widespread use of pesticides in agriculture, and the decline in habitat for
>bees.
I think the loss of natural bee populations is due mainely to the bee mites.
>>
That's not entirely true, though mites have been a serious factor with
honeybees.
But honeybee populations were declining before mites arrived, due to pesticide
misuse, poor honey markets, and other factors.
Bumblebee populations, especially in the south are badly depleted,
primarily due to cotton spraying in violation of label directions. Many
solitary bees are also affected. Pesticide misuse is a factor in many other
areas as well.
Some other factors are loss of forage (changing crops patterns, loss of
hedgerows, increased herbicide use, and monoculture pine forests rather than
mixed forest), clearcut logging, development, bee paranoia (more homeowner
spraying, more vandalism to beekeepers), and fire ants (ground nesting
solitary bees are especially vulnerable to these preditors).
To Mr. Seyfried:
You are absolutely right: the decline of pollinator populations is one of
the most significant environmental problems, one that will greatly impact our
children and grandchildren, if not ourselves. It is little recognized and I
commend you for being alert to this situation.
You can help.
1. Get well educated yourself. You can look at produce at the market and see
effects of poor pollination (lowered quality), if you know what to look for.
Check out the web pages below for more info.
2. Work for better enforcement of pesticide laws. Right now this is a low
priority, and in fact our South Carolina pesticide enforcement head has been
lobbying EPA to gut the protection offered in pesticide label directions.
3. Work for more research on honeybee mite control (only one material today
is registered for varroa mites, and resistance to that material is looming),
resistant strains of honeybees, alternative pollinators. Your congressman may
think pollination is unimportant. He may see the bee labs as so much pork
barrel, so he keeps trying to cut the already limited budget for bee research.
4. Work for better beekeeper education. Call your local extension office and
ask them when they are offering a beginner beekeeping course. If they don't
have one scheduled, point out the pollination problem and ask they why they
aren't working on it.
Why do many of the land grant universities have little or no beekeeper
courses? I don't think any university in the US has a course in pollination
management, which is pretty basic horticulture, really. There are only a half
dozen schools that have any significant training. I once had a university-
trained head of an extension fruit team look totally blank at me, when I
showed him you could count the seeds in an apple to evaluate pollination. It
was a brand new idea to him.
5. Encourage young people, in every opportunity you have, to consider
beekeeping (especially for contract pollination) as a career choice. It's a
seller's market.....
[log in to unmask] Dave Green Hemingway, SC USA
The Pollination Scene: http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
Of Bees, Beekeepers and Food..... Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/queenbjan/primbees.htm
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm
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