Pollinators

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lynnmcmahan

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Since our honeybees seem to be on the down side in south MS, I started looking at what is pollinating around my house. I did see a bee this AM but most pollinators appear to be small bumble bees. Done some reading and found they might just be mason bees. After reading, I decided to build some mason bee houses and see if any move in. I have four citrus trees that have a bumper crop every year so something is pollinating them. Last year I noticed bumble bees in my veggie garden. Also, Last year I noticed a bunch of bees that looked like honeybees, just a shade darker, out at the garden that were nesting in the ground (not yellow jackets). Think they might be digger bees? They are back this year, if they ever left.
Been an outdoorsman for 70 years and am amazed at the things that are new to me.
 
Bees and other pollinators are cool. My wife even started a business breeding and selling butterfly and moth caterpillars, host plants and offering consultations and classes.
With out pollinators we're screwed
 
The estimate is that one third of the food on your plate is insect pollinated. What isn't included in that estimate is that most of that one third is in vegetables and fruit so that one third less not only equates to a little hunger but severe malnutrition.
Don't be fooled by good citrus crops, they don't need insect pollination to produce heavily. In fact it's been a huge debate here in CA for years as citrus growers of certain types of mandarins have tried to bully beekeepers into moving hives out of the area because cross pollination produces seeds in those varieties.
 
cow pollinater":3fkcdh59 said:
The estimate is that one third of the food on your plate is insect pollinated. What isn't included in that estimate is that most of that one third is in vegetables and fruit so that one third less not only equates to a little hunger but severe malnutrition.
Don't be fooled by good citrus crops, they don't need insect pollination to produce heavily. In fact it's been a huge debate here in CA for years as citrus growers of certain types of mandarins have tried to bully beekeepers into moving hives out of the area because cross pollination produces seeds in those varieties.
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You mean mansanto doesn't have the answer to that? :cowboy:
 
Haven't seen a Fla orange grove in 30 years. I do remember seeing umpteen bee hives there. I thought it was a win win situation there, good orange blossom honey and the trees were pollinated. Still learning.
Hook, your wife have any experience with mason bees? Understand the almond producers in Cali will pay good $$$$ for mason bee.
 
Not with mason bees. Carpenter bees yes. Great fun to whack with tennis rackets. Our good friends used to send honey bees to komifornia every year to pollinate the almonds but the state regulations got so bad they said it wasn't worth it.
 
skyhightree1":2b3blbar said:
I thought i was the only one that didnt see honey bees like i use too
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Worldwide colony collapse disorder ( ccd ) has wiped out up to 50-70% of the bees in some areas over the last 10 years. It's getting better and they are recovering but there's along way to go
 
Not sure about this but I think honey bees are non native, I believe the Italian variety is the most popular and is on the decline. There had to be pollinators before the godfather arrived, maybe the natives are winning. Hope that's not a trend.
 

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