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Loading...Bee-friendly Landscaping
- Chaya, selected from Networx
- July 25, 2011
- 3:30 pm
- 203 comments
One of these parasites is the Varroa mite, which Dr. Zachary Huang of Michigan State University studies. “I study how to control mites, which is a major pest, probably the number one,” said Dr. Huang. “They basically suck the blood from bees. It’s like a tick. In sucking the blood from bees, it also transmits other viruses that make the bees sick. The bees get immunological disease just like the HIV virus and they lose resistance to other diseases.”
Another disease that is wiping out bees is Colony Collapse Disorder, which makes the bees disappear. “You can’t find the dead bodies,” said Dr. Huang. “The adults are gone. Immature stages are left behind and the queen. It has been happening for four years now. We still don’t know what causes it,” he said. Dr. Huang said, “Right now there are very few feral bee populations, bees that are not managed. They’re slowly coming back. But almost 90 percent of the bees that you see on the flowers are managed. There used to be a lot of wild bees, but the mite came in and wiped out everybody. That’s why we rely on managed populations right now for pollination.”
Feed the Bees
Drs. Huang and Delaplane both cited nutritional stress as a reason that bees are disappearing. Delaplane cited, “Monoculture and agriculture, soybeans that don’t produce any nectar. Corn that doesn’t produce any nectar. Wheat that doesn’t produce any nectar. So you get bees that are suffering from malnutrition, and you’ve got on top of it these other stresses, and I haven’t even talked about pesticides yet. What you have is a perfect storm of many diverse factors all coming together at once to really pound our bee populations.”
What homeowners can do is use their landscapes to feed local bee populations. Dr. Huang suggested, “Plant flowers that could provide bees with nectar and pollen. In general, that would increase the biodiversity for other bees, not just honeybees.” He continued, “If you have a lot of flowers, native or not, they provide nectar and pollen. Unfortunately, we are so hooked up with keeping a nice green lawn, which doesn’t really do much ecologically. It doesn’t really do anything for bees and other organisms.”
Read more: Conservation, Home, Lawns & Gardens, Nature, Nature & Wildlife, Wildlife, bees, honeybees
Chaya, selected from Networx
Networx.com empowers people to make educated, economical and Earth-friendly renovation and home repair choices. We are a community of homeowners, renters and contractors who are committed to sharing home improvement expertise and experience.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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people are talking
good to know
Great tips
Thank you.
Well, that was nice, but now, back home to my blankie and teddy bear!
No problem with 1, and 4-7. I maintain a weight that is too much, probably due to not following #3.…
203 comments
+ add your ownThanks
Thank you for sharing.
good to know
Bees are greatly attracted to the plants we call "weeds." Dandelion and other plants that are often sprayed with herbicides early in the season, just when the bees are really looking for some food. My habit is to let all the weeds flower and when they are done I pull them out or cut them down to the ground. Not to worry, they are ALWAYS back next year. I keep a lot of herbs in the yard because they often bloom early and the bees seem to really like them...well, to be honest, most of the stuff I grow is for the bees...I want them to hang around and pollinate stuff. Also keep very shallow containers of water here and there, not deep or they will drown. Jar lids are good.
I so miss the springs and summers of my childhood when every bush, every glade was filled with the lazy buzzing of bees. We've never used pesticides in my family - my uneducated, down-to-earth, farming grandma would have a fit if we "poured poison on the earth." If only we had known what was happening, what was going to happen, I would have fought harder to make sure no one else ever "poured poison on the earth" either. Thanks to my grandma and her simple understanding of the earth and how things work, at least I've not contributed to the demise of so many precious forms of wildlife.
Very interesting...thanks...
Noted ....love Bees...
Signed. Great article!
Living in a large metro area I have notuiced the decline in different birds, insects, etc. I am sure it's mostly because of chemicals : )
I already have over 2500 sq. feet of flower beds, but the dog needs room too : )
We should, maybe, plant flowers that attract bees in our gardens.
Bees and other pollinators are some of the most sensitive creatures to pollutants and herbicides, not only because they damage the plants that bees feed on, they also weaken the bees’ immune system.
In our efforts to cling to our dominion over the land, we’ve poisoned the environment with pollution and pesticides, destroyed habitat, imported invasive species of plants and animals; in short, rode roughshod over the land.
Yes, the payback is climate change, and the endangerment of the honeybee.
Many people are not aware of the crucial role that bees play in the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
Not only do they provide honey, one of the most complete foods known to man, they play a fascinating and integral part in the pollination of most of our food.
So if you have extra flowers in your yard, transfer some to a wooded area close to your home or go for a drive and find a wooded area or even along a riverbed. Any sort of plants will do. You will even help the butterflies and our bird friends.
Thanks for the great information about bees. They are keystone species that we all depend on for food and as a crucial part of our ecosystems. We all should be more aware and treat them gently.
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