> Previous studies on a range of invertebrates, including honeybees, indicate that dietary protein intake may have a major impact on correlates of fitness, including longevity and immune function. The finding that beebread protein content correlates with land use suggests that landscape composition may impact on insect pollinator well-being and provides a link between landscape and the nutritional ecology of socially foraging insects in a way not previously considered. 



AS mentioned that land use be it AG or wild can be either a positive or a negative.  Some lands in wild condition are poor for (lets stick with bees)  and some AG use is great for them.   Both at times can be a boon or bust.

If you were to look at say Tons of protein (pollen) or nectar produced per acre,  my money would say AG use would almost always win out. Especially Canola or alfalfa.  Even here in the Midwest corn would probably win when you add the Hensbit and yellow rocket and Dandylion numbers before and after corn.  Even soybeans can be good.  

The other Elephant in the room that seems to be invisible is weather.  It’s a much bigger factor than anyone wants to admit.  (thanks Randy for that article in ABJ this month)  This season its been biting me real hard.   This month her in IL we have the wettest year on record.  1/2 or so every other day.  The bees cannot forage in the rain obviously,  but even after the rain there is no nectar and dang little pollen to collect. (hard rain also washes pollen)  If this is not taken into account in nutrional studies of land use,  the data in my opinion is  worthless and biased.    Our bees (and other pollinators) need to be able to forage on the best plants when they are available.  There are many times when the best pollens and nectars are not available due to weather.  Canola in OK this year was a bust,  so was Tupelo in GA.  (I am sure there are others)  This year almonds in northern CA were fantastic!  (not normal)


Whats disturbing to me is a LOT of biased research and studies aimed at bashing AG in general, and specifics.  Its astounding to me how some great minds can tell themselves intellectual lies in order to get grant money. (no one particular in mind)  We as Americans and humans are NOT going back to the primitive forest of the turn of the century,  and yet many propose that kind of thing.  How about studies on how to best utilize which crops where??  The ones that AG guys do.  Not bee guys.  We have the same issues in pesticides....  Literally thousands of studies on how neonics are bad for bugs.....  not many on how much better (or worse) than Atrizines and pyrethroids,   Lots of charts on how Neoincs increased,  never seen one on the reduction in other pesticides published.

We are starting to try the same stuff on land use.  It’s a bad idea.  As beekeepers we are (again I know) tresspasers in search of liquid gold.  We would be smart to take the approach the CA beekeepers do with almond growers and make it a cooperative issue.  

The best forages for bees are one they can access,  a month on canola is 100 times better than 3 days on blakberrys no matter how you do the math.  We need to take this into consideration.  Yup,  corns not much.  But 3 weeks millions of acres of dandylion, hensbit and yellow rocket in march (here in IL)  are fantastic for bees.  First fields to bloom are normaly crops,  then they just switch to forest about the same time as we plant (OHIO university study)....  actually can work well.

Charles

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