What’s the Buzz about the Bees

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The Beepocalypse

 A quick glance at the news paints a grim picture for bees in the future, with title articles such as “Honey, we shrunk the bees: mass extinction threat for beloved insect?”, “The bee all end all: why should we care that the bees are dying?” and “Dying honeybees, and the uncertain future of honey” make us feel like we are on an inevitable slope to losing all of our bees and horrible puns (including this article’s title) simultaneously. Bee health started becoming a great cause of public concern around 2006, when colonies were seemingly left completely abandoned, with capped brood and queen bees still in the hive. Beekeepers were losing more than double the accepted colony loss rate (15% to >30%) Continue reading “What’s the Buzz about the Bees”

What the science says on the impact of neonicotinoids on our pollinators

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Screen Shot 2015-07-01 at 8.51.49 AMThis presentation, delivered both for the East Texas Beekeepers Association and at the Overton Field day (2015), gives some components to consider when looking at the impact of neonics on pollinators. The general public is very quick to call upon a ban on neonics for killing our bees – but the situation is really not that simple. In this presentation, I try to shed light on both sides of the argument that neonics are responsible for pollinator population decline.

 

 

Growing flowering plants that are safe for pollinators in the yard and garden

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Protecting your pollinatorsA presentation delivered by Dr. David Smitley from Michigan State University (Department of Entomology) on “Growing Flowering Plants that are Safe for Pollinators in the Yard and Garden” presented at the 19th Annual Ornamental Workshop on Diseases and Insects. The presentation focuses primarily on neonicotinoids, which have received a lot of media and public attention recently. (Sharing with permission from Dr. Smitley).