4 ms·

Yes, let's import an alien species in a closed ecosystem. What could go wrong?

• mc32 8y ago
  Granted, I guess I should have asked in the past tense? Why didn’t they? And why don’t local bees work in pollinating the vanilla vines?
  • lostlogin 8y ago
    It’s suprisigly complicated. The first link seems not to have had success (but it’s a surprisingly interesting read) and the second suggests that a specific, nearly extinct bee is needed. http://www.aos.org/orchids/additional-resources/pollinating-the-vanilla-flower.aspx# http://www.aos.org/orchids/additional-resources/pollinating-... https://seeds.ca/pollination/tales/vanilla-without-the-bee https://seeds.ca/pollination/tales/vanilla-without-the-bee
  • ryanmarsh 8y ago
    It is quite surprising this hasn’t happened yet, what with all the other bad ecological decisions that get made in the furtherance of industrial farming. Not that I don’t like vanilla or food or anything. I’m just surprised, it seems kind of an obvious business move. Maybe the bees wouldn’t survive?
    • lostlogin 8y ago
      Or seems that a specific variety of bee is required. https://agrieducate.com.au/farming-fact-sheets/vanilla/ https://agrieducate.com.au/farming-fact-sheets/vanilla/
  • ChoGGi 8y ago
    Too large to get in the flowers (is what I've heard).