Roger Parsons
18 November 2022 15:37:40

Conservation-minded gardeners may find this of interest and relevance:
"Today, [15th] the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has published a new evidence-based position statement on the impacts that pesticides can have on bumblebees. We have set out five key recommendations to help policy makers, local authorities, businesses and individuals reduce the negative impacts that pesticides can have on bumblebees and other non-target animals. In most situations this means not using pesticides at all."

Bumblebee Conservation Trust - New pesticide position statement
https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/new-pesticide-position-statement/



Roger


RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Bolty
17 December 2022 17:24:54
In the midst of the cold winter months, here's a project I've been working on through this year. I grew an apricot tree from seed back in the spring, and this is the progress of it's growth through the summer, to it's last leaves of autumn:




Scott
Blackrod, Lancashire (4 miles south of Chorley) at 156m asl.
My weather station 
Bertwhistle
01 January 2023 11:03:10
That's impressive Scott. Was that simply from a stone you pulled from a fruit, or a specially horticulturally prepared one?
Quite like to have a try at that myself.
Bertie, Itchen Valley.
Definition of disappointment: brown birch bolete
Bolty
01 January 2023 18:46:45
Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 

That's impressive Scott. Was that simply from a stone you pulled from a fruit, or a specially horticulturally prepared one?
Quite like to have a try at that myself.



Appreciate it Bertie! Yes it was. There's a bit of prep work that goes into making a stone germinate though. You have to break the outer shell to get to the seed inside, wrap it in kitchen roll (or something similar) and leave it in the cold for a few weeks to simulate the winter. Only then will it sprout. There's a few YouTube tutorials out there that explain it a lot better than I could! 😄
Scott
Blackrod, Lancashire (4 miles south of Chorley) at 156m asl.
My weather station 
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
04 January 2023 13:21:48
Daffodils have shot up over the last few days, many on the south-facing bank opposite my house (in Chichester) now 10-15cm high with well formed buds albeit still green
"Ground covered with snow this morning, having a great deal of snow in the night. This morning was fair but the air very cold" and "Very cold and very damp. Water overflows the ditches all round us ... Land springs about us were scarcely ever known to be so full as at present." Parson Woodforde's Diary, 13th and 17th March 1795, Norfolk

Chichester 12m asl
Roger Parsons
05 January 2023 06:56:26
As gardeners know the importance of bees this review may be of interest, David. Enjoy.

Bees’ minds show remarkable depth and richness
https://www.zmescience.com/reviews/books/buzzworthy-bees-minds-show-remarkable-depth-and-richness/ 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
NMA
  • NMA
  • Advanced Member
05 January 2023 10:16:41
Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

As gardeners know the importance of bees this review may be of interest, David. Enjoy.

Bees’ minds show remarkable depth and richness
https://www.zmescience.com/reviews/books/buzzworthy-bees-minds-show-remarkable-depth-and-richness/ 



And they can also help break into vaults.
From using bees to hack a gait identification system to breaking open a water main with radioactive explosives, these bandits will go to great lengths to line their pockets with $7 billion — even if it means putting their lives on the line.
https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/kaleidoscope-vault-explainer-behind-the-scenes 
Nick


 
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
06 January 2023 07:12:22
I expect you've seen this, Roger, but if not ...

US approves world’s first vaccine for declining honey bees
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64180181 
"Ground covered with snow this morning, having a great deal of snow in the night. This morning was fair but the air very cold" and "Very cold and very damp. Water overflows the ditches all round us ... Land springs about us were scarcely ever known to be so full as at present." Parson Woodforde's Diary, 13th and 17th March 1795, Norfolk

Chichester 12m asl
Roger Parsons
06 January 2023 07:59:14
Originally Posted by: DEW 

I expect you've seen this, Roger, but if not ...

US approves world’s first vaccine for declining honey bees
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64180181 



Thanks for that thought, David. I'd not spotted that and have read it with interest.

As a general point, some of the bee health issues are related to quality of "husbandry". Large scale operations can lead to large scale problems, as these bee farmers, though often very skilled, have to cut corners in terms of everyday husbandry and expect to lose a proportion of colonies as a result. A health problem in an apiary of 8 hives is a very different matter compared to a beekeeper with hundreds of hives. There are issues with medication, such as antibiotics, and the familiar concerns about impacts of agrochemicals.

Roger [YHM BTW]

e.g.
Antibiotics in hives and their effects on honey bee physiology and behavioral development
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7710009/ 

 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Roger Parsons
07 January 2023 10:33:16
More on bees. A thought-provoking review. Enjoy.
Buzzworthy: bees’ minds show remarkable depth and richness
https://www.zmescience.com/reviews/books/buzzworthy-bees-minds-show-remarkable-depth-and-richness/ 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
31 January 2023 17:35:04
Daffodils in yellow bud and about to open here; just in time for a Beasterly
"Ground covered with snow this morning, having a great deal of snow in the night. This morning was fair but the air very cold" and "Very cold and very damp. Water overflows the ditches all round us ... Land springs about us were scarcely ever known to be so full as at present." Parson Woodforde's Diary, 13th and 17th March 1795, Norfolk

Chichester 12m asl
Roger Parsons
04 February 2023 05:33:21
More evolution than gardening - but interesting. [You must have burying beetles in your compost heap.] No obvious alternative thread - do we need one? R.
Animals that care for young may have more mutations and evolve faster
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2356853-animals-that-care-for-young-may-have-more-mutations-and-evolve-faster/ 
 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Bertwhistle
23 February 2023 19:07:04
 At last mature February is here- and the snowdrops are in full splendour. My hundreds of crocuses that have graced the north lawn for years seem to have entirely given up the ghost.
Mini daffs blooming, a single primrose and the 'elephant' garlic shoots are up.
Bertie, Itchen Valley.
Definition of disappointment: brown birch bolete
Users browsing this topic

    Ads