On Thu, 22 Sep 1994 12:31:55 Kenna MacKenzie <[log in to unmask]>
wrote ...
 
> I think we should be somewhat careful in how we classify 'wild bees'.
> I think it is better is this is clarified by saying 'wild honey bees'
> or 'feral honey bees' or something similar.
-- cut --
> This may be seem silly, but as an pollination biologist who works with
> both honey bees and native bees, I am sensitive to the fact that most
> people tend not to recognize the importance of native bees in crop
> pollination.
 
I quite agree about your mind that people is guessing only honeybees
are pollinators. They don't know the single (solitary?) bees (a lot of
different species) and the colonies of different bumble bees.
 
3 remarks :
 
1/ As an European one, seems, it's your own problem with this imported
   honeybee on the "New World".
   As your pionners they invaded the whole country.  You cannot go back
   to the equilibrium before this importation.
 
2/ The honeybees foragers, where they are present, are more numerous
   than the solitary bees and bumblebees
 
3/ In Europe we have really the problem of the dead of the wild-feral
   honeybees.  Maybe a resistant line shall appear, but all the
   beekeepers treatments against the mites, diminish the speed of
   appearance of this resistant line (we don't see which is resistant
   and which is not).
 
Cheers
 
Jean-Marie
 
Local blooming informations ...
Long. : 4deg 56' E - Lat. : 50deg 30' N  -  Alt. : 200 m  -  North sea : 200 km
 
After 2 weeks of november time (wet, wet, wet) ... the sun is there (18dC)
      ... usual but depressing
 
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 Jean-Marie Van Dyck                    Fax +32 81 72 42 72
 B.P. 102                               email : [log in to unmask]
 B-5000     NAMUR(Belgium)              Medical school - Biochemistry dept
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