Pollinators

rogerjolly

Forum Legend
Joined
Aug 12, 2017
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Age
80
Location
Yorkshire
Lifestyle
  1. Vegan
(1) If a gardener is concerned about the plight of pollinators and wants to do something to help then they should keep honey bees. Rubbish!

(2) If a gardener is concerned about the plight of birds and wants to do something to help then they should keep chickens. Rubbish!

The logic in the first suggestion is even more flawed than that in the second.

The honey bee is an extremely efficient pollen collector. Far too efficient: It takes too much and leaves too little. Many other pollinators thrash about with gay abandon spreading pollen willy-nilly. This is excellent for the pollination process. The plants benefit because their chances of reproduction are increased. The insects benefit because future generations will have pollen available for them.

The honey bee does pollinate a bit but takes most of the pollen home. This greatly reduces the food available for other insects and their populations decline.

Perhaps a human equivalent of honey bee pollen collection is slash and burn.

Roger.
 
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