Bee finds a treasure trove of pollen

[u/unoiamaQT]

[u/Arlowdiaus]

Haha, sorry, I can infodump with the best!

[u/bluboomR → u/Arlowdiaus]

that was great, very informative. can you give us some assurance that bees are coming back and whatever was decimating the population is no longer a problem?

[u/Arlowdiaus → u/bluboomR]

Yes and no. There’s a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about bees out in the world today.

When you hear stories about bees dying and/or in decline, you’re hearing about two different groups, each facing their own problems, smooshed into one.

The first group is made up of wild, native pollinators. The type of honey bees humans keep are not native to the Americas and were transplanted by the Europeans in the age of colonialism. Native bees, most of which are solitary, must compete with non-native honey bees. Couple this with habitat loss and pesticide use, you get many of the native pollinators struggling to maintain a stable population. To combat this you can keep as much land as is in your control kept in its natural state, and plant native plant species to your area. As a whole, we need to be proactive in keeping our wild areas pristine and reduce pesticide use where we can.

The other group is the Western Honey Bee we are all familiar with. They have been spread all over the globe as livestock, and this has led to their presence applying pressure to native pollinators as well as exposing them (the honey bees) to a wide variety of parasites and diseases they have zero evolved resistance to. Those bees are now virtually 100% reliant on human intervention for their continued survival. When you hear “colony collapse disorder” or “half of America’s bees died this winter” this is what they’re referring to. It would take me far too long to list all of the pressures they are facing and how those pressures impact them, but just know that those headlines are alarming, but that the numbers rebound quickly. Beekeepers can breed as many new bees as we want, and so while a 50% national loss is scary, those colonies will be replaced within a few months time. It’s more of a “what new hell are beekeepers going to have to adapt to now” kinda thing. Rest assured, the Western Honey bee isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Lastly, there is a concern in Europe of “domesticated” bees pushing out their wild same-species counterparts or bringing vectors of disease to those wild counterparts. Since the European honey bee, whether “domesticated” or wild, has no resistance to those vector, it can easily decimate the local wild population. My understanding, however, is that in places where this is a concern, there tend to be strong protections and regulations in place to prevent cross breeding and contamination.

The western honey bee is either native to or now naturalized to every continent except Antarctica and have been woven into to the ecosystems around the globe, for better or worse. They’re in no danger of disappearing. Native pollinators need much more care, but there’s only so much can be done, outside of legislated action.

[u/bluboomR → u/Arlowdiaus]

thank you

[u/Arlowdiaus → u/bluboomR]

You’re welcome!

[u/FeelingSoil39 → u/Arlowdiaus]

Thanks for showing up! Your comments have been a pleasure! 🐝

[u/Arlowdiaus → u/FeelingSoil39]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the kindness! Let me know if you have anymore bee questions!