Does your EU country love bees?

Mike Lucey

Hi All,

Got some good news on the bee front this week. The EU has voted to ban certain pesticides that could be harming the bee population for a two year period, pending further investigation. Nothing is black or white when it comes to these things but I feel its better to be safe than sorry when it comes to Nature and particularly our little friend, the honey bee.

This is how the vote went,

For Banning.
Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, France, Cyprus, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.

Against Banning.
UK, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Austria

Fence Sitters / Abstainees (Including my bunch!)
Portugal. Ireland, Lithuania, Finland and Greece

Ordinary EU citizens played a huge part in pressurizing the politicos via organizations like Avaaz and this is good. Now the campaign has to be continued to get to the bottom of why the bee population is in serious decline.

I have no doubt that neonicotinoid (nicotine based) insecticides have been playing a part in this but I also imagine there are many other factors. People power is great! When huge numbers of ordinary folks all do just that smallest of things it can make all the difference.

I'm no gardener as many will testify to. However I do have a large and somewhat wild honeysuckle growing against a back garden wall. I will be encouraging it to spread further along the wall.

Bee on honeysuckle.jpeg

I am also looking up a list of 'good flowers' to plant in my collection of plant pots. Its not a simple case of popping into the garden center and buying a bunch of what takes your fancy! Many of these commercially sold plants are hybridized and pretty much useless to bees and other pollinators. In simple terms, they are 'designer plants'! They just look good and little else.

What is called for are plants that are natural and un-screwed around with by commercial ventures

Some wild plants are available for free in the countryside! Taking some up by the roots should be done with due consideration for the local environment.

If you don't have a garden consider a window box or such, every little helps.

Box

On the Bee front a remarkable invention may well help increase bee popularity and populations by making life easier for both beekeeper and bee.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/flow-hive-honey-on-tap-directly-from-your-beehive

We used to have hives when I was a kid and I remember how much work it was to extract the honey. It was the main reason not to want to keep them. I have now ordered my new hive which will fit in nicely with my organic veggie garden.

michaliszissiou

@unknownuser said:

to get to the bottom of why the bee population is in serious decline.

Not in greece.
We're facing a different problem though. Beekeepers are responsible for this.
See these pine trees?
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Our-Forests/Forest-Health/Forest-Health-Publications/Insects-and-Diseases/Woolly-Pine-Scale

Wo3Dan

@michaliszissiou said:

@unknownuser said:

to get to the bottom of why the bee population is in serious decline.

Not in greece.
We're facing a different problem though. Beekeepers are responsible for this.
See these pine trees?

(image in previous post)
Why are beekeepers responsible for what is shown in the image?

numerobis

@box said:

On the Bee front a remarkable invention may well help increase bee popularity and populations by making life easier for both beekeeper and bee.

Are you serious? Plastic honeycombs?

michaliszissiou

@unknownuser said:

Why are beekeepers responsible for what is shown in the image?

Some google search needed. Example:

@unknownuser said:

The pine scale (Marchalina hellenica) has been introduced to Attica … beekeepers have contributed substantially to the colonisa- tion of conifer forests … attracts other insects, mainly ants, which protect and/or transport the ..... woolly aphid (Adelges piceae, Hemiptera, Adelgidae)

It isn't just my opinion. I've talked with lot of greek beekeepers. They do it purposely.
BTW, honey from pine trees is of lower quality compared to other honeys like thyme, Erica manipuliflora (the best) , still brings lot of money. A huge production unfortunately.
See my friends? There are more points of view on this matter.