Hi All
 
> Subject: Re: Bees in nature reserves
>
> Garth wrote:
> >
> >I have just been wondering what the stance is in areas where bees are
> >an introduced species towards their presence in Nature reserves?
 
Betty J. McAdam Wrote:
 
> The situation in Australia is that conservation movements disapprove of
> access by bees to National Park sites on the grounds that the bee is an
> introduced species.  This is so even when it has been established that bees
> improve the pollination of native species, in particular eucalypts, by
> increasing weight and number of fertile seeds.
 
This is probably why. Bees shift a population naturally being a
different pollinator to the ones of old. So that means that
eventually you will end up with a population of trees that are
suitable for bees to live on. With time areas with large stands of
pollen defficient trees may say for example become bee defficient and
eventaully the trees there will be replaced by other trees. Maybe
onces something had a beheviour pattern that meant it could scavenge
enough pollen of these trees?
 
>
> The position by National Parks staff is blind opposition.  Until recently
> there has been little research on the effect of bees (and no interest in
> having this done).  However recent projects by Dr. David Paton have found
> (if I understand them correctly) that:
>
> 1.  Commercial bee hives do not increase the population of feral bee hives.
>
> 2.  Bees prefer hive sites with very small access holes, which are unlikely
> to      be chosen by nesting birds.
 
But are they likely to be chosen by native Trigonids? And what effect
does a beehive with increase moisture etc have on the innnerds of a
tree?
 
>
> On Kangaroo Island the K.I. Beekeepers Association is working with the
> Glossy Black Rescue Team which is dedicated to restoring the Red Tailed
> Glossy Black Cockatoo to a sustainable level.  Early publicity accused bees
> of occupying nesting sites set up for cockatoos at the rate of 10% a year.
> The Association has been working with trap hives in nesting areas and
> reporting on success rates as well as actively trapping swarms in daily
> beekeeping activities.
 
This sounds like a good responsible thing to do.
 
> However the barrier to multi-purpose use of forest areas is the ideology of
> National Park staff.  New South Wales beekeepers have argued that the bee
> has become naturalized and fills a vacant niche.  The comment of one
 
These arguments appear around the world. Here we have people that say
trout and oak trees are now naturalised. That is a myth. It takes a
eucalypt say 10 years to start seeding prolifically, another ten to
establish a mature thicket, maybe a hundred to go through a
succession satge. And maybe a thousand to stabilise. Then bees will
have altered their environment. Then maybe they will be naturalised.
 
> National Park spokeswoman when asked "If the natural pollinator is extinct
> and the plant relies now on bees, what will you do?" replied that she would
> prefer the plant died out rather than permit bees access.
 
That is also silly.
 
> The key to obtaining the access to national resources which is vital for the
> health of the apiary industry and therefore the entire primary industry
> area, is  properly conducted research to demonstrate that the arguments
> against bees are invalid and to properly record the value of forests in
> honey production.  This takes money and lots of time and can only be
 
Honey production yes. Are there natural honey producers in Australia?
No noe that produce a similar surpluss, so something must be wrong
with the approach of Apis mellifera and it may be an over industrious
species.
 
Sorry to be argumentative about this, but I do believe that A.m must
have an effect, and hence should be eradicated from nature reserves.
In the rest of the country it can be kept, just controlled. That is
similar to the approach of the government here eradicating exotic
plants like eucalypts, wattles and accacias from nature reserves.
This has also negatively affected indigenous A.m bee pops in the
reserves.
 
Honey for thaught!
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
---
Garth Cambray       Kamdini Apiaries
15 Park Road        Apis melifera capensis
Grahamstown         800mm annual precipitation
6139
Eastern Cape
South Africa               Phone 27-0461-311663
 
3rd year Biochemistry/Microbiology    Rhodes University
In general, generalisations are bad.
Interests: Flii's and Bees.