so1970
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Post by so1970 on Mar 28, 2011 12:46:41 GMT -5
although this film leans more towards an ecological side the economical impact is also alarming . genetically modified foods will have an impact on us also. has anyone seen this documentary yet or read about it?
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Havoc
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Post by Havoc on Mar 28, 2011 20:42:51 GMT -5
Yes, I've seen it, and it is disturbing on a number of levels. There are immediate financial aspects to it: the increased costs of pollination that will be passed on to consumers (I am guessing that round-trip transportation of bees from Australia ain't cheap), the potential for a disaster (boat full of bees founders in a storm - growers will not be able to get replacement bees in the needed quantity in time for blooms, and suddenly we "lose" half of the CA citrus production for the year, or the tomato production for 4-5 months. Food prices would skyrocket.
The down-the-road aspects are just as alarming. It is a little (?) discouraging that for all the money the FDA and the Ag department gets, no one does independent studies on the crap that gets used on/in plants, and with the increased use of systemic pesticides, most of us are eating it whether we want to or not. Same thing with GM - the government is, thus far, refusing to require any kind of labeling to identify GM foods because they consider them to be equivalent to non-GM - again, based solely on research provided by the companies. Many of these crops are modified to allow greater use of pesticides... which we are also eating.
It's enough to make you want to buy a farm, grow your own food and, of course, get a hive of bees!
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hcj
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Post by hcj on Mar 29, 2011 2:13:35 GMT -5
Oddly enough, the honey bee that is the staple pollinator is not native to the United States. Right now, the various Botanical Gardens, including Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG), are running test projects to research the use of alternative pollinators including native bees and wasps. www.bbg.org/Yes, the European honey bee is what we mostly see, but native bees are actually far better pollinators. Out here in California, our native bee is a Mason bee and boy do these guys work. They will work in bad weather, early in the morn, late in the eve and added up, each mason bee supposedly does 50x the work of one european honey bee. Our front yard is all native plants and I've seen a few of our mason bees since we did this conversion. And then I did something that "rich" people do and I bought a $27 mason bee nesting thing so that there was a safe place for the babies. I haven't seen the documentary, but am definitely looking forward to it. I have read so much on the sudden colony collapse disorder that I don't know what to believe. Is it a fungus that we have no hand in or is it the chemicals? What I do believe though is that we should consider the risk and err on the side of caution. My passion is the garden and I'm an absolute nutter about it all being organic. Minimizing run off, salvaging rain water, composting all the yard and kitchen waste, healthy soil, beneficial insects, etc... is not just a feel good thing, but in the long run a better economic decision. It's not great for Monsanto, but I do believe that it's better for all us collectively.
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olderburgher
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Post by olderburgher on Mar 29, 2011 8:25:54 GMT -5
I think you all don't get the seriousness of the problem facing bees and beekeepers. A loss of bees for a couple of months of California citrus is not even a tenth of the story. Think of the size of the loss of the crops outside California that could be lost nationwide. Florida Citrus, gulf coast veggies that feed us all before local summer crops are available, and of course your local crops whether organic or not. Consider loss of all of the stone fruit crops from cherries to apples to blueberries to.... All need honey bees for pollination and mason bees are simply not the answer. Moreover current agro-business practices can be disastrous as to the bees. For example each year 1000s if hives of honey bees are brought in from all over the U.S. to pollinate California almond trees (incidentally that honey made from the bees' effort is inedible) and then they are shipped home when that work is done. Accidentally bring diseased hives from one location there and you can send diseases home with hives all across the U.S. with potentially very far reaching results.
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998fbird
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Post by 998fbird on Mar 29, 2011 18:40:29 GMT -5
Bayer's pesticides made from tobacco have pretty much been banned in Europe. Too bad colony collapse syndrome isn't as important as protecting the big chem corps here, can you say Agent Orange.
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hcj
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Post by hcj on Mar 29, 2011 23:23:46 GMT -5
I think you all don't get the seriousness of the problem facing bees and beekeepers. A loss of bees for a couple of months of California citrus is not even a tenth of the story. Think of the size of the loss of the crops outside California that could be lost nationwide. Florida Citrus, gulf coast veggies that feed us all before local summer crops are available, and of course your local crops whether organic or not. Consider loss of all of the stone fruit crops from cherries to apples to blueberries to.... All need honey bees for pollination and mason bees are simply not the answer. Moreover current agro-business practices can be disastrous as to the bees. For example each year 1000s if hives of honey bees are brought in from all over the U.S. to pollinate California almond trees (incidentally that honey made from the bees' effort is inedible) and then they are shipped home when that work is done. Accidentally bring diseased hives from one location there and you can send diseases home with hives all across the U.S. with potentially very far reaching results. I hope I didn't sound like I wasn't taking the bee plight lightly. I am very concerned about the sudden collapse. The one thing I know I can do is to provide habitat that is free from chemicals. I really want to understand why farmers have to bring in bees for rent. I'm sure I'm speaking out of my arse, but it seems to me that if they grew things that provided pollen year round, then they would have the bees? Any given day I have a minimum of 50 bees buzzing around and I think it's because I grow what they like and they don't get taken out by insectides, herbicides, etc....
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so1970
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Post by so1970 on Mar 30, 2011 1:10:50 GMT -5
i think i am going to get bees but i hear you have to get the europeon variety.
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so1970
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Post by so1970 on Mar 30, 2011 1:22:55 GMT -5
checked out a site its not expensive to get started like $165 thats a cheapway to save the environment. this may be a stupid question but could you actually be sued for what happens from a bee that flies miles a day? i thought of it morer like a mother nature thing,you might maintain the hives but you cant really control the animal. that would be like getting sued for having humming birds that flew from your yard into your neighbors window
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998fbird
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Post by 998fbird on Mar 30, 2011 7:37:43 GMT -5
I have a large yard and want to get a hive and in looking into it I found that in my county you have to register your hive(s). I am fortunate in that one of my cousin's has a friend who has hives (my cousin has a huge yard, apprx. 8 acres) and he keeps several on her property, so I have a built in contact.
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olderburgher
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Post by olderburgher on Mar 30, 2011 7:48:04 GMT -5
Answers to questions: You do want European Honey Bees because they are the type we here in the US call honey bees. However, there are subtypes of such bees from different areas of Europe and one need not import them from Europe as bees sold in this country are of that type. The African bee issue is a general non-issue when you get north of the gulf coast area. Certainly a non-issue in the Mid-Atlantic and New England areas. Starting keeping bees can't be done for $165.00. A new bunch of bees with a marked queen will cost you about $85.00 (what I just paid.) They are only free if you happen to catch a swarm verses buying like I did. However you will also need a hive with hive boxes, honey supers etc. and veil and jacket to minimize the occasional stings. It is always a good idea to check with local authorities as to keeping bees. here there were limitations till the beekeepers got the government to revise the local ordinances so that individuals could, within limitations, keep 2 hives on residential properties. Go on line locally and check for local beekeeping groups. Generally easy to find and eager to share info. also check if hives need to be licensed and inspected by the state as they do here (small fee.)
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