8 ms·

As a beekeeper I see the irony in that: monocropping (growing only almonds in large areas) is one of the causes of biodiversity loss. Honeybees are very lucky t

by yawz 9y ago

As a beekeeper I see the irony in that: monocropping (growing only almonds in large areas) is one of the causes of biodiversity loss. Honeybees are very lucky to have beekeepers like me to help them survive through troubled times. In my state there are more than 500 other bee species that we don't even hear about. Monocropping is one of their killers.

smcl 9y ago
This is exactly what I came in here to ask about. I was reading this article and wondering whether one contributing factor for colony collapse is that these vast Almond farms alone simply cannot sustain the bee population in the areas they dominate.
- saalweachter 9y ago
  Many wild bees are also specialists, and they will just raise a single generation each year during the appropriate flowering season. They hatch, go wild on their target species, and then lay a batch of eggs for next year. Many wild bee species are correspondingly more efficient than the generalist honey bees; a handful of orchard bees can pollinate an apple orchard faster than a hive of honeybees. Some of these species are pressed more by climate change; at the talk I heard on the subject, these bees have a narrow latitude band they survive in, and as temperatures increase they tend to push up against their northern limit than shift north.
bjelkeman-again 9y ago
Agreed. In Europe i understand that the threat to the bees that are not part of beekeeping, is the real problem. Insect populations in general in Germany, as an example, have plummeted by 75% in three decades. Many insects beyond bees act as pollinators. The focus on honeybees brings it to attention, but there is a much wider problem. The lobbying from the German chemical industry against stricter regulation is very strong, and we are seeing the result of that now. Also a beekeeper. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/germany-s-insects-are-disappearing http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/germany-s-insects-are...

by yawz 9y ago

smcl 9y ago

This is exactly what I came in here to ask about. I was reading this article and wondering whether one contributing factor for colony collapse is that these vast Almond farms alone simply cannot sustain the bee population in the areas they dominate.

saalweachter 9y ago
Many wild bees are also specialists, and they will just raise a single generation each year during the appropriate flowering season. They hatch, go wild on their target species, and then lay a batch of eggs for next year. Many wild bee species are correspondingly more efficient than the generalist honey bees; a handful of orchard bees can pollinate an apple orchard faster than a hive of honeybees. Some of these species are pressed more by climate change; at the talk I heard on the subject, these bees have a narrow latitude band they survive in, and as temperatures increase they tend to push up against their northern limit than shift north.

bjelkeman-again 9y ago

Agreed. In Europe i understand that the threat to the bees that are not part of beekeeping, is the real problem. Insect populations in general in Germany, as an example, have plummeted by 75% in three decades. Many insects beyond bees act as pollinators. The focus on honeybees brings it to attention, but there is a much wider problem. The lobbying from the German chemical industry against stricter regulation is very strong, and we are seeing the result of that now. Also a beekeeper. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/germany-s-insects-are-disappearing http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/germany-s-insects-are...