Protecting Bees

2/28/14


Shorewood's Council heard a presentation on protecting bees at the 2/24 council meeting. The presentation may be viewed at: http://lmcc.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=4bfd10b0-f077-1031-a551-f3fb1162b875 (see the end of the agenda list). The City has just released its March newsletter and has included some information about protecting bees in it.


The presenters accurately pointed out the importance of bees to our food supply and that there are issues with declining bee populations including, "colony collapse disorder" in which whole hives just die off.


The presentation encouraged residents and the City to plant bee-friendly plants and to not use certain chemicals. Proper planting can provide improved bee habitat. However, caution is warranted when it comes to wholesale discontinuance of currently approved chemicals.


Experts disagree on what may be the causes of colony collapse disorder. One only has to do a web search and read the scientific articles to learn this (be careful when reading articles from some environmental groups as many only tell the part of the story that supports the group's position). There is research underway, but results so far are not complete and conclusive. In fact, some countries in which bees are widely needed for crop pollination and in which some of the questioned chemicals are widely used report no problems with colony collapse disorder.


Be smart about using pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Use sparingly and only per label directions. Talk to your lawn service. Do you know what they're spraying on your lawn and why? It's quite possible that you're paying for unneeded chemical treatments and ones that may be harmful to more than just bees.


Happy Reading!
The Insider