Want some free flowers?

Nice try, but it's not the lack of habitat that's killing off the bees ... it's agriculture's incessant use of pesticides, and the Nosema ceranae parasite, which thrives and has developed immunity due to ... you guessed it ... agriculture's incessant use of pesticides.

Seems to me, concentrating the bee populations would only serve to accelerate the die off.

PS ... I would HOPE that they've vetted the seeds for regional use so they don't end up spreading invasive species where they weren't intended by Mother Nature.

(damn ... my soapbox just developed a wobble on that rant ... ) <G>
 
Nice try, but it's not the lack of habitat that's killing off the bees ... it's agriculture's incessant use of pesticides, and the Nosema ceranae parasite, which thrives and has developed immunity due to ... you guessed it ... agriculture's incessant use of pesticides.

Seems to me, concentrating the bee populations would only serve to accelerate the die off.

PS ... I would HOPE that they've vetted the seeds for regional use so they don't end up spreading invasive species where they weren't intended by Mother Nature.

(damn ... my soapbox just developed a wobble on that rant ... ) <G>

So creatures can survive without habitat? You'll have to explain to me how that works. I'd love to see you do it.
Living here in suburbia the lack of wildlife is obvious when compared to my parent's house out in farm country. I've gone years without seeing lightning bugs here while at my folks you can see dozens at a time every summer. I'm sure pesticides play a part, but so does the fact that there are virtually no large clumps of long grass. The beetles hide down in the grass during the day and lay their eggs there. No tall grass, no lightning bugs.
Monarch butterflies are plentiful at the folks, but here where growing milkweed is illegal, I never see them. I usually see less than ten butterflies total a year here. When I was growing up in the same general area it was a slow butterfly day to see ten a day.
Bees need flowers, and one flower is not the same as another when it comes to bee tastes. As I've added new native flowers I've seen new species of bees. Sometimes it takes years before they start showing up meaning there weren't any close by.

Less insects means less other animals as well. I've seen one hummingbird in sixteen years here and never had an oriel within earshot while both birds are fairly common out at the folks house thirty miles away.


Environmental degradation isn't due to one cause. It's a big system we've been knocking pieces out of for a long time.
 
Living here in suburbia the lack of wildlife is obvious when compared to my parent's house out in farm country. I've gone years without seeing lightning bugs here while at my folks you can see dozens at a time every summer. I'm sure pesticides play a part, but so does the fact that there are virtually no large clumps of long grass. The beetles hide down in the grass during the day and lay their eggs there. No tall grass, no lightning bugs.

All that does is point out the difference between the real world and the big city. Do you really need bugs in Detroit? ;-}

That said, I got no lack of habitat here. In fact, there's a few farmers here who run hives, and one gets away every now and then and wanders over my way.

bees-001.jpg


I find one, give the guy across the street a call to let him know where they are, and they'll be over shortly to coax em home.

Besides, rumor has it this is more of a cyclical thing than anything else ... kinda like global warming. It happens. That of course depends on who you listen to.

** Just fershitzengiggles, how's your local area deal with "native lawns"? That sort of thing can sometimes result in a severe frowning at least from the local ordinance police. I've got a couple acres here, half of which is natural, but it's all grass ...or a reasonable facsimile of anyway :D ... up by the road, and I'm sure somebody would stop by and p!tch a b!tch if I let it go back to nature.

PS ... just picked up a couple five pound bags of last season's "meadow" seed at the local farm and fleet the other day. Mixed grasses and wildflowers, certified for the area. Cost me all of $6, and should germinate fine as long as it was stored halfway decent. I'll broadcast those come spring and give em a quickie blow job (probably a better way to put that) to settle the seed to earth. I do that every few years anyway, with good results, and may be a good option for yall to check in on.
 
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how's your local area deal with "native lawns"? .
Lawn-Mower-Machine-90637.gif

And 175$ bill for the mow. And they take out everything. If they can't reach it with the mower they chop it with a weed whacker.
Shrubs with tags?
Gone.
A bed of ferns from your dead grandfather's house?
Gone.

I'm glad my dogs were inside otherwise I would have ended up with some bloody paws for pets.
 
Well now ... that's a bloody pause for reflection ... ;-}

I'd never be able to abide that sort of thing. I know a few folk live in restrictive developments, some of which can be very draconian, depending on who's in charge. Yes, anyone who moves in DOES sign a "covenant" ... whether they know it or not, and like software EULA's, I imagine about 1 in 100 actually read the things. :deal:

One couple in particular had the PC Police tell them they had (as you mentioned) unacceptable bushes that weren't on the "special" list and were too high ... they had the measurements to prove it, which was interesting because the bushes were in a normally private area of the yard and no one had any idea when the measurements happened ... and they went along with that. Couldn't park their car outdoors - seemed reasonable until they got "ticketed" for leaving it out after taking in groceries. But the very last straw? A notice to remove a wind chime within a number of working days, or "face consequences". Relisted with a realtor the very next day ...
 
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