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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
George Fergusson <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 19 Aug 2005 09:55:39 -0400
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At 06:50 AM 8/19/05 -0400, you wrote:
>
>However, it occurs to me that perhaps attracting bees to the sides of
>freeways will only get them hit by cars.
>

It's a risk they gotta take. Where I live, we need all the forage we can
get and having someone else foot the bill for suitable plantings is a great
idea, even if it's in a dubious location. I've watched a lot of bees on the
clover, vetch, and other weeds this summer on the side of my road. Cars and
trucks going by at speed push a lot of air and the bees and the flowers get
well buffeted- I've seen bees actually knocked off a blossom. They come
right back. Invariably, some bees will get hit when crossing the road. I'm
not aware of any studies of colony losses due to road kill, probably
because nobody reports collisions with bees. Moose yes. Bees, no. I've
certainly thought about it but never had an opporunity to voice my
conclusions till now!

I suspect I lose more bees to dragon flies in my apiary than I do to road
kill. The value of the forage outweighs the risks IMHO- the same goes for
milkweed- a valuable nectar producer, but how many bees get hobbled by
pollinia and never make it back to the hive? Is it worth it? I think so!
For that matter, I recall reading in ABC XYZ a short item speculating about
bee fatalities due to them flying into overhead power and telephone lines
(apparently the poles themselves pose no valid threat). No conclusion was
reached by the author.

Perhaps in areas with large amounts of roadside forage we should put up
"Slow Bees Working" or "Bees Crossing" signs to slow down motorists. They'd
probably have no effect however- people don't slow down for slow children
playing or hiding driveways, why brake for bees?

George- I brake for bees!

---------------------------------------
George & Nancy Fergusson
Sweet Time Apiary
326 Jefferson Road
Whitefield Maine 04353
207-549-5991
http://www.sweettimeapiary.com/

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