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Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds welcomed to Valleybrook Park
https://news.yahoo.com/bees-butterflies … 52520.html
Bees of the World: A Guide to Every Family
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardc … -the-world
Examines more than 100 genera of bees, giving a taste of the remarkable breadth of bee appearance and biology
'Cyclone damage shows New Zealand’s beekeepers are unprepared for climate change'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ … ate-change
How "bee lawns" could help bring pollinators to your yard
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/video … your-yard/
All About Pollinators: What They Are and How to Support Them
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/pollina … 09125.html
Pollinators are an integral part of any ecosystem. Pollinators encourage plant growth and assist with maintaining diversity in the landscape. The vast majority of plants require some amount of pollination. Agriculture is especially dependent upon bees to pollinate the blossoms of trees and plants that produce fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and agriculture is a crucial component in both the food supply and the economy.
Common Pollinators in the U.S.
There are a number of common pollinators in the United States, and they are found in a wide variety of habitats, including rural and urban areas.
Monarch butterflies: Considered endangered now due to dwindling numbers, these once-plentiful butterflies are considered one of the most important pollinators. They enjoy milkweed, Asclepius (butterfly weed), and buddleia (butterfly bush), and planting these in your garden can provide important food sources for them.
Butterflies: Many varieties of butterflies are effective and beautiful pollinators. Some are attracted to very specific plants. Most butterfly species are declining in number mainly due to loss of habitat, so planting butterfly-friendly plants may be crucial to their survival.
Hummingbirds: Beautiful to watch, these elusive yet playful birds enjoy visiting a number of flowers including Agastache (hummingbird mint), nepeta (flowering catmint),
Bats: Bats are shy nocturnal creatures that eat many annoying insects (like mosquitoes) and generally benefit the local ecosystem a great deal. You can put a bat house in your garden to attract them. Though they behave a bit like birds, bats are actually mammals. They are important pollinators for certain food crops, including durian, dragonfruit, and African locust beans.
Beetles: Though some beetles, such as Japanese beetles or red lily beetles, can be pests in the garden, many of them are good pollinators.
Beetles are known to be some of the earliest pollinators on earth, due to there being such a large number of beetle species in the prehistoric era. They also tend to chew leaves as part of their pollinating process.
Wasps: Though their stinging ways can make them a nuisance, wasps still manage to be very effective pollinators.
Bees: There are many types of helpful pollinating bees, including honeybees, carpenter bees, sweat bees, bumblebees, and others.
Moths: Similar to butterflies, many moths are nocturnal and will pollinate plants after dark. Moth larvae are also important sources of food for many birds, bats, frogs, toads, and lizards, forming a crucial part of a healthy ecosystem.
Mosquitoes: Yes, these biting machines and vectors for spreading disease are actually good for something: pollinating!
Flies: Perhaps not everyone's favorite insect, flies are nevertheless useful as pollinators for a wide variety of plants. Flies also breed quickly, so the density of their numbers makes them common pollinators in many areas.
Lizards: In some areas, like islands with unique ecosystems, lizards become very important pollinators, as important as birds and insects. Other Pollinating
Mammals: In addition to a variety of bat species, there are a few other mammals that serve as pollinators, including certain types of shrews, possums, lemurs, and flying foxes
Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-08-12 15:35:06)
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Varroa destructor, the Varroa-Mite the alien invader now arrives in almost all countries and kingdoms and nations, it is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on the honey bees
The Varroa mites originally only occurred in Asia, on the Asian honeybee, the mites are vectors for at least five and possibly up to 18 debilitating bee viruses, including RNA viruses such as the deformed wing virus.
It has been confirmed to be present throughout North America excluding Greenland, South America, most of Europe and Asia, and portions of Africa, until recently the species was not present in Australia
Australia is the last continent to be invaded by varroa mite and has an opportunity to be the first to eradicate it
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-06/ … /102808910
Bee-killing mite's rapid spread could cost Australia billions
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environmen … te-spread/
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Faced with dwindling bee colonies, scientists are arming queens with robots and smart hives
https://theconversation.com/faced-with- … ves-211688
Urban Bees Flaunt Larger Brains, A Study Finds
https://bnn.network/world/spain/urban-b … udy-finds/
Scientists at the Doñana Biological Station in Spain have recently made a breakthrough discovery that could change our understanding of insect intelligence. In a study involving 335 bees from 89 species across Europe and North America, they found that bees living in urban environments possess larger brains relative to their body size compared to their rural counterparts. This discovery lends credence to the ‘cognitive buffer’ theory, suggesting that larger brains offer animals enhanced cognitive flexibility, equipping them to adapt to dynamically changing environments like cities.
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a question asked
'Why do wasps have "wasp waists"? What's been optimized?'
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Why are Australia's orchids flowering early this year?
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A foreign mite arrives and starts destroying food animal colonies and maybe an ecosystem.
I have spoken to people with bees and it seems that you can develop bee allergies even if not allergic, too many stings and over time your body can develop a form of Anaphylaxis as a reaction to far too many collected stings over time.
Anaphylaxis UK
https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-she … -the-facts
Anyone can become allergic to an insect sting. You are more at risk of a serious allergy if you are stung often or have multiple stings.
100 Million Dollars Spent
Australia abandons efforts to eradicate deadly parasite varroa mite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqhvkRZ1oDo
damages of 5.2 Billion Dollars damage expected if unchecked and the alien pest is expected to stay
As Varroa spreads, now is the time to fight for Australia’s honey bees – and you can help
https://theconversation.com/as-varroa-s … elp-223204
A tiny foe threatens Australian beekeepers’ livelihood, our food supply and the national economy. First detected in New South Wales in 2022, the Varroa mite is now established in Australia.
The parasitic mite, which feeds on honey bees and transmits bee viruses, has since spread across New South Wales.
It is expected to kill virtually all unmanaged honey bees living in the bush (also known as “feral” honey bees), which provide ecosystem-wide pollination.
Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2024-03-05 05:39:51)
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will Mars also celebrate its animals as Pagans once did?
Himalayan giant honey bees spotted in Chiang Mai
https://thethaiger.com/news/national/hi … chiang-mai
Himalayan giant honey bees have been spotted in Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park, Chiang Mai province, a first-time occurrence in Thailand.
Deforestation harms biodiversity of the Amazon’s perfume-loving orchid bees
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1040330
most colonies on Mars might fail, tough conditions could see constant problems and colony collapse
Bemis Honey Bee Farm hosting Arkansas Bee Day
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bemis-h … 54613.html
Beekeepers around the world have lost about 45% of their colony since 2020, and it has raised concern.
'The best way to help bees? Don’t become a beekeeper like I did'
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr … odiversity
When I set up my honeybee hive, I had no idea I might be harming wild bee species.
Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2024-04-20 02:24:10)
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