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Thread: Pollinators

  1. #81

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pedaling Fool View Post
    So I was moving my birdfeeders, which I do every so often; they are both tied to a metal pole that I thrust into the ground, very easy to move around.

    As I lifted the pole out of the ground I looked around to see where I wanted to move it when I noticed I had about 10 wasps buzzing around me; I immediately thought I was near a nest in a low-hanging branch on my Live Oak tree, so I moved away, but I noticed the wasp were following me, so I got further and further away from the tree, but still these wasps were following me. This was strange, because I know (from experience) that wasps (Paper Wasps) are protective of their nest, but they don't chase you, like yellowjackets.

    Then I realized I still was carry around these birdfeeders, so I started looking for a nest, but didn't see any, so I checked inside the feeders, still no nest

    However, I noticed one feeder had a column in the center of it, so that means it must be hollow, so I rechecked under that feeder and sure enough it had a hole in the bottom of the feeder, so I looked up that hole, but I had to get the light (from the sun) just right to see up that hole and then I see this wasp looking directly at me


    So I planted the pole there and got away, went and got my camera and here's the nest





    And here's the guard



    I reorganized my pics since posting the above post; here they are reposted


















    And here is some good news for those of us that love the pollinators, bee numbers have hit a 20-year high http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/w...-20-year-high/

  2. #82

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pedaling Fool View Post
    Sneaky "Pollinators"

    I go out at least once a day and watch all the pollinators work on all the flowers; I've even recently planted some sunflower plants and watermelon(believe it or not good attraction plant for pollinators) to keep them coming. And I'm getting some milk weed today for the monarchs.

    I've noticed that bumblebees and carpenter bees go to the base of the flower, especially of the Mexican Petunia and seemed to be getting the nectar from there. Never heard of that so I looked around the net and found that there's a name for this practice, Nectar Robbing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nectar_robbing


    I'm sure many of you seasoned gardeners already knew of this practice, but good info for any of you (us) newbies. What's kind of curious is that they don't do it for all plants, like the morning glories...
    New article on thieving pollinators, but in this case it's the pollen, not nectar, being stolen. http://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2015/10/t...ees-uncovered/


    Although, this article seems to pit invasive honeybees against native buzzing-type bees, such as the bumble bee. However, it doesn't mention the non-buzzing natives, how do they factor into this, so-called "co-evolutionary arms race between plants and bees..."? Seems like the article/research had a little bit of a agenda, but interesting nonetheless.

    Excerpt:

    "Although nectar theft among bees is well-known, little research has been carried out into the prevalence of pollen theft, or the factors which determine whether a bee will become an effective pollinator or a pollen thief.


    The study showed that bees which act as pollen thieves are smaller, stay longer at each flower and visit few flowers in each run. Legitimate pollinators tend to be larger, buzzing bees which visit many flowers in many plants and are likely to help plants spread their pollen more widely.


    Co-author Lislie Solis-Montero said: "The bee’s size is the key determinant of whether it will be a pollen thief. The flowers of buffalo-bur work as a ‘lock-and-key’ mechanism to ensure that the bee collects and deposits pollen with the right body parts. Bees which are too small fail to contact the female organs, while still taking away pollen grains to feed their larvae."


    The study was carried out in Mexico, where the introduced European honey bee was found to be a particularly common pollen thief, which could have important repercussions for buzz-pollinated plants in areas where honeybees compete with native bees.


    Dr Vallejo-Marin said: "If honey bees are displacing native pollinators, the reproduction of this and other species of buzz-pollinated plants may be compromised.


    "The decline of natural populations of bees around the world, combined with the expansion of non-native pollinators, could have important repercussions for the evolutionary future of specialised, buzz-pollinated plants."

  3. #83

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    Yesterday I was clearing a bunch of dying plants that I mulched into the ground. As I grabbed another hand full of brush I felt a very sharp puncture to my thumb, much like a large thorn, but there were no thorns. Then I saw the little leaf cutter bee, which I always thought was a stingless specieshttp://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/...tting_bees.htm

    After about 15-minutes the pain went away and I continued clearing the brush and would have forgotten about it, but this morning I awoke to a slightly swollen and itchy thumb.

    BTW, the bee never flew away, she just crawled along the stalk of plant I had in my hand and I didn't see it dragging half its abdomen, like what you see when a honey bee stings you. So I took the bee to a part of the yard I thought it would be alright and released her into some brush.


    P.S. Interesting little info on leaf cutters vs honeybees; apparently leaf cutters are super pollinators http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/1997/970820.htm

  4. #84
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pedaling Fool View Post
    New article on thieving pollinators, but in this case it's the pollen, not nectar, being stolen. http://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2015/10/t...ees-uncovered/


    Although, this article seems to pit invasive honeybees against native buzzing-type bees, such as the bumble bee. However, it doesn't mention the non-buzzing natives, how do they factor into this, so-called "co-evolutionary arms race between plants and bees..."? Seems like the article/research had a little bit of a agenda, but interesting nonetheless.
    Interesting. I'd wondered about the adaptation of bottle gentians. They have tightly closed flowers. Only the big buzzing bees, such as bumblebees, can force their way in. I'd found it hard to see what the selective value of excluding smaller pollinators might be. If it is preferentially the smaller bees that are pollen thieves, that makes a lot of sense.

    gentians2.jpg
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  5. #85
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    I find these occasionally around the property (even in the garage), always though they were from strange caterpillar making a cocoon.

    Now I know different.

    leafcutting_bee04.jpg

    Figure 4. Nest of leafcutting bee pulled out of a cavity such as a hole in wood. This nest contains several cells; each cell will produce one adult leafcutting bee. Photograph by J.L. Castner, University of Florida.
    The trouble I have with campfires are the folks that carry a bottle in one hand and a Bible in the other.
    You never know which one is talking.

  6. #86
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    While we're on the subject of bees:

    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  7. #87

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    Quote Originally Posted by Another Kevin View Post
    Interesting. I'd wondered about the adaptation of bottle gentians. They have tightly closed flowers. Only the big buzzing bees, such as bumblebees, can force their way in. I'd found it hard to see what the selective value of excluding smaller pollinators might be. If it is preferentially the smaller bees that are pollen thieves, that makes a lot of sense.

    gentians2.jpg
    I had not heard of that plant, thanks for mentioning it...I will definitely have to find more on this issue of pollen thieves. https://naturallycuriouswithmaryholl...s-pollinators/



    BTW, thanks for the above video, will watch....

  8. #88
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pedaling Fool View Post
    I had not heard of that plant, thanks for mentioning it...I will definitely have to find more on this issue of pollen thieves. https://naturallycuriouswithmaryholl...s-pollinators/
    Wow, another case of vulgar names varying depending on where you are. She was writing about Gentiana clausa, and my picture is of the close congener G. linearis. But all the gentians seem to have the same adaptation. There were a lot of gentians in a high-elevation fen that I crossed on an Adirondack hike in August. That's where I took the picture.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  9. #89

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    Quote Originally Posted by Another Kevin View Post
    While we're on the subject of bees:

    enjoyed watching that, thanks.

  10. #90

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    Quote Originally Posted by Another Kevin View Post
    Wow, another case of vulgar names varying depending on where you are. She was writing about Gentiana clausa, and my picture is of the close congener G. linearis. But all the gentians seem to have the same adaptation. There were a lot of gentians in a high-elevation fen that I crossed on an Adirondack hike in August. That's where I took the picture.
    Yes, you gotta always remember that there is a very good reason for the scientific names.

    Still looking for good information on this issue of pollen thieves.

    And all this time I thought this was the perfect symbiotic relationship between pollinators and plants. Turns out it's a very turbulent relationship.

    It shouldn't surprise me; I've always said nature is all about fighting for survival. You gotta be selfish to survive in the natural world. Such is nature

  11. #91

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    Great podcast on honeybee hive management, interview with Randy Oliver, who I've been following for a few years now. Any beekeepers will definitely want to listen or anyone generally interested in honeybees: http://kiwimana.co.nz/randy-oliver-f...keeping-km061/


    BTW, this is Randy's website: http://scientificbeekeeping.com/

  12. #92

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    Randy Oliver was lacking about the larger dangers of neonics. I've been by his farm in Grass Valley Cali. I've spoken with him. I learned a lot in my short conversation with him about bee keeping and some of his larger ecological views.

    However, there are different approaches to bee keeping that are equally or more "scientific" that do not rely on drastic manipulation of hives by human behavior or utilizing chemicals as Randy does. His website name implies that his approach is scientific, somehow better, or offering greater credibility because it's labeled "scientific." Randy Oliver's approach is just one of several different viable "scientific" bee keeping approaches.

  13. #93

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    Randy Oliver was lacking about the larger dangers of neonics. I've been by his farm in Grass Valley Cali. I've spoken with him. I learned a lot in my short conversation with him about bee keeping and some of his larger ecological views.

    However, there are different approaches to bee keeping that are equally or more "scientific" that do not rely on drastic manipulation of hives by human behavior or utilizing chemicals as Randy does. His website name implies that his approach is scientific, somehow better, or offering greater credibility because it's labeled "scientific." Randy Oliver's approach is just one of several different viable "scientific" bee keeping approaches.
    You are wrong on so many levels and if you listen to the podcast you'd see that no where does he claim his approach is only one. Seems like you're attempting to grind an ax in your response, but your points are dull.

  14. #94

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    P.S. here is his opening statement from his website, not exactly a how-to on beekeeping...

    What This Site Is About


    This is not a “How You Should Keep Bees” site; rather, I’m a proponent of “Whatever Works for You” beekeeping.

    In short, this site is a record of my learning process as I try to understand aspects of colony health and productivity, and the reasons why various management techniques work (or don’t). My writing is a digestion of the scientific literature, relating it to my day-to-day hands on experience and observations in my 40+ yards of bees, and then sharing what I’ve learned about the biological processes happening in the hive with other beekeepers. I then leave it to each beekeeper to make their own informed management decisions.

    If you are a beginning beekeeper looking for basic information, or an experienced beekeeper looking for a summary of mite treatment options, I suggest that you go directly to Basic Beekeeping.

  15. #95

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pedaling Fool View Post
    You are wrong on so many levels and if you listen to the podcast you'd see that no where does he claim his approach is only one. Seems like you're attempting to grind an ax in your response, but your points are dull.
    I never said Randy Oliver claimed his approach was the only way. I would never that because I too know he doesn't think that way and that was not just ascertained by listening to a podcast. Don't say I said something I didn't.

    I attributed two things to him. 1) His wider spread dangers of neonics knowledge is lacking. I still stand by that comment. 2) Taking a scientific approach to bee keeping can be done differently. ie; there are multiple ways that one can define a "scientific" approach to bee keeping. I still stand by that comment as well. Randy himself, as you stated PF, says the same thing. I say this because lately when someone labels something "scientific" it's assumed, sometimes mistakenly, it entails greater truth, a better way, greater knowledge, or being "the way." That's all I was getting at with my two comments.

    No axe to grind. Those are just my opinions which are not just based on pod casts or reading his contributions in bee keeping literature but cummulatively after personally speaking with him. I'm not against him. Randy Oliver is a great asset to the bee keeping world. However, that doesn't make him a god or infallible about anything.

  16. #96

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    Randy Oliver was lacking about the larger dangers of neonics. I've been by his farm in Grass Valley Cali. I've spoken with him. I learned a lot in my short conversation with him about bee keeping and some of his larger ecological views.

    However, there are different approaches to bee keeping that are equally or more "scientific" that do not rely on drastic manipulation of hives by human behavior or utilizing chemicals as Randy does. His website name implies that his approach is scientific, somehow better, or offering greater credibility because it's labeled "scientific." Randy Oliver's approach is just one of several different viable "scientific" bee keeping approaches.
    I've bolded and underlined exactly what you said.

    That is a passive-aggressive way of saying that he claims his approach is the only one -- he doesn't claim that his approach is better. But if you want to remain in denial, fine...

    Also, it seems like you have some angst about his stance on neonicotinoids and bees (maybe that feeds your passive-aggressive behavior), but I can't make heads or tails on your point. Randy's point was that it's not the bee killer that so many claim it to be, actually there are far more worse pesticides out there; furthermore, it did not cause the massive CCD problems, after all, the CCD issue is all but done nowadays. Just some examples:

    http://cnycentral.com/news/local/aft...ack?id=1048040

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...vengeance.html

    http://www.azcentral.com/story/money...back/19114743/

    http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busin...620-story.html

    http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/H...ia-2375394.php



    Yet neonicotinoids are still out there, so all the stories linking them with CCD were obviously just agenda-driven news, not to mention the research that showed this; that's not to say the stuff is 100% safe, I don't use them and Randy doesn't, but he also doesn't fixate on them when the CCD thing was happening.






    .

  17. #97

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pedaling Fool View Post
    P.S. here is his opening statement from his website, not exactly a how-to on beekeeping...

    What This Site Is About


    This is not a “How You Should Keep Bees” site; rather, I’m a proponent of “Whatever Works for You” beekeeping.

    In short, this site is a record of my learning process as I try to understand aspects of colony health and productivity, and the reasons why various management techniques work (or don’t). My writing is a digestion of the scientific literature, relating it to my day-to-day hands on experience and observations in my 40+ yards of bees, and then sharing what I’ve learned about the biological processes happening in the hive with other beekeepers. I then leave it to each beekeeper to make their own informed management decisions.

    If you are a beginning beekeeper looking for basic information, or an experienced beekeeper looking for a summary of mite treatment options, I suggest that you go directly to Basic Beekeeping.
    i read the basic beginners articles, neat stuff. Look forward to seeing some pictures from you in the future. Of particular interest to me was how it explained how the bees would look at you if they are not calm, and how the smoke settles em down and to wait for the day if they don't calm.

  18. #98
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    saw a very interesting pollinator on rhododendrons in SNP - sized and moved like a humming bird, had a bee like rear end and antenna - ranger thought it was likely a moth

  19. #99

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    To clarify this statement, "Randy Oliver was lacking about the larger dangers of Neonics" I was referring to impacts of systemic neonicotinoids PESTICIDES like Clothianidin, Imidacloprid, Thiacloprid, etc including but looking beyond impacting bees. These are all chemicals I know to some degree through professional use who has changed his stance on their use since I'm now heavily involved in practicing more environmentally sound Integrated Pest Management(IPM). IPM, as it applies to ornamentals and food agriculture, relies on a more ecological wide spread more sustainable pest management approach not heavily reliant on chemicals thereby reducing pesticide risks. It seemed like that is what you were advocating in your yard? I am no "expert" on Neonics though. Maybe, but highly doubtful, are you? You sound like you are more of a hobbyist. I made my comment by observing a larger ecological perspective beyond pollinators to include soil organisms like earthworms, beneficial insects like lady beetles, parasitic wasps, other invertebrates(arthropods, etc), aquatic life, and all in the food chain including humans. Since Neonics are a systemic pesticide it is taken up by plants. Insects and animals like humans that feed on these plants containing pesticides, although always stated to show no significant safety risk(???), adds to the toxic load in the environment, including honey bees and humans must contend.

    Studies have shown that Neonic PESTICIDES do adversely affect honey bees and a whole lot more. For anyone to imply Neonics have NO adverse affect on honey bees is not the case. Study the science not second or third hand mainstream media accounts .

    Are Neonics the magic smoking gun causing CCD in itself some make it out to be? In my mind, as yours, I don't see that being absolutely the case. I'm not a pathologist, entomologist, or full time apiculturist either. And, I thought Randy Oliver was making the same case.

    Passive aggressive? I didn't know I was going to be assigned a behavioral disorder from a Clinical Psychotherapist when I logged onto WB today.

    If you ever decide to accept PMs we(I) would be able to clarify before going down these roads of seemingly endless disagreement. We have more in common than how it may seem. We are commenting on different tangential topics which are connected but are often on different pages in the same book. No doubt, we don't see eye to eye on everything though which is GOOD.

    Now, back to the therapist's leather couch.


    Where can I get some of that hallucinogenic honey?

  20. #100

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    "...neonicotinoids are still out there, so all the stories linking them with CCD were obviously just agenda-driven news, not to mention the research that showed this..."

    You obviously don't know what your'e talking about because the scientific research is clear about this - There is a considerable and growing body of evidence that neonicotinoids and other systemic chemicals are harming bees, other wildlife and also our soil and water quality. You're brushing under the carpet the effects of Neonic Pesticide use, the most widespread category of pesticide use globally.

    http://dev.ejfoundation.org/sites/de...nicMyths_1.pdf


    Seriously, you need to study some more science on the subject of Neonicotinoid consequences. This group of pesticides ABSOLUTELY affects honey bees, butterflies, other pollinators and other life forms. Don't say that isn't so.

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