Decline in bees will affect our future eating habits

[Aberdeen Shrimper]

I watched a interesting/worrying story on the local news tonight regarding the declining population of Bees and the effect this could have on humans.......it is estimated that 1 in every 3 mouthfuls of food we eat are courtesy of pollinating insects.



Bee numbers have declined by 10-15% in Britain. Last summer, 80% of hives were killed off in some areas.
Three bumblebee species are extinct and seven others have declined by more than 50% in the past 25 years. Other insects are also dying out, with two-thirds of moths and 71% of butterflies in decline.

The reasons for the decline are not fully understood. It could be a combination of climate change, habitat loss and the use of insecticides. The varroa mite is killing off hives in many areas.

It is estimated 84% of crops in the EU and 80% of wildflowers rely on insect pollination.
In the UK, pollination alone is thought to be worth about £200million a year to British farmers and the total contribution to the economy, including profits from food, could be up to £1billion.
In Scotland, bees are vital to the soft fruit industry, with the raspberry crop worth £52million a year and the blackcurrant crop £8million, while the associated processing industry is worth an extra £200million.

 

[osymandus]

I have a chum whose an emtomologist (insect specialist ) and amoung the community its actually not such a huge problem for our food production , as the majority dont actually come from flowering plant's . Also while it would be sad to loose bee's a replacement spieces would take over fairly quickly , and their are other pollen collecting speicies (we would lose honey mind ;) )

The clue to teh big scandel is the figures being banded around for economic lose . (basically evoltion and nature don't give a toss and mankind will have to just wait )

 

[Rob Noxious]

Mobile phones are killing bees apparently- I'm no scientist, but it is something to do with the electro-magnetic waves confusing bees so they can't find their way around anymore. Mrs S knows about it; I'll need to ask her the more scientific explanation so that this sounds a bit more...scientific.

 

[Aberdeen Shrimper]

I have a chum whose an emtomologist (insect specialist ) and amoung the community its actually not such a huge problem for our food production , as the majority dont actually come from flowering plant's . Also while it would be sad to loose bee's a replacement spieces would take over fairly quickly , and their are other pollen collecting speicies (we would lose honey mind ;) )

The clue to teh big scandal is the figures being banded around for economic lose . (basically evoltion and nature don't give a toss and mankind will have to just wait )

This information.....It is estimated 84% of crops in the EU and 80% of wildflowers rely on insect pollination was taken from the Press & Journal, not sure where they get their stats from but I would imagine they are from a reliable and expert source!

 

[osymandus]

This information.....It is estimated 84% of crops in the EU and 80% of wildflowers rely on insect pollination was taken from the Press & Journal, not sure where they get their stats from but I would imagine they are from a reliable and expert source!

Yeah expect most of our food stock comes from grain , maze, barlies and corn base products that arnt spread by insect based pollination (also a good number of wildberries seeds are spread in bird poo).

 

[pickledseal]

Isn't there a popular book about this? 'World without bees' or something?

 

[Mad Cyril]

I got stung by a bee yesterday.

£15 for a jar of honey!

 

[Aberdeen Shrimper]

Isn't there a popular book about this? 'World without bees' or something?

Not sure if it is linked, but I am sure there was a movie of late that was along the same lines?

 

[Mad Cyril]

Not sure if it is linked, but I am sure there was a movie of late that was along the same lines?

It would go someway to repairing the damage done by all those killer bee films.

 

[osymandus]

It would go someway to repairing the damage done by all those killer bee films.

Tis true the Bees died... they died of shame. Think on this world . B movies may seem harmless but theres always a victim always , a million larva now lie quivering without their mother . All for grass entertainment, well think on mankind think on......

 

[A Century United]

Which reminds me - I am quite clued up on wasps,
especially their habitat and the sound they make - sort of hobby of mine. The other day, I was passing a second hand record shop and in the window was an old LP entitled ‘The World’s Wasps And The Sounds They Make’.

Obviously I was fascinated, so I went inside and asked the bloke if I could have a quick listen to it.

The bloke kindly put on track 1 for me, but embarrasingly I couldn't recognise the wasp making the noise - and even worse, I couldn't recognise any of the other wasps, which obviously made me feel a bit down, what with thinking I knew so much about them.
Just then, the shop owner took another look at the record and said "Ah!, sorry mate, that's my fault.....






































I was playing the B side."

 

[Firestorm]

I thought this Thread was about Barnet and and Brentford going bust....

 

[Uncle Leo]

This article was in The Sunday Times a while back. Not brief, but a worthwhile read if you're interested in this topic. All seems a bit worrying to me.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5604401.ece

 

[MK Shrimper]

Not saying that I don't believe that there is a reduction in bumble bee numbers, but some of the statistics can be incredibly misleading. 10-15% of bumble bees? Can you honestly tell me that people know exactly how many bumble bees there are in Britain? Did I miss a census?

Many of the reports on this were probably written by non-scientific journalists who;

a) Don't understand the data.
b) Like nothing more than "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" scaremongering headline (hello Daily Mail).

Before you worry about all this I'd take a closer look at who's been funding the research, who's been doing the research, and if you're really worried, take a look at the data and then analyse it yourself.

Yes I'm reading Bad Science by Ben Goldacre and it's opened my eyes!

 

[Rob Noxious]

Strange, but true...

Which reminds me - I am quite clued up on wasps,
especially their habitat and the sound they make - sort of hobby of mine. The other day, I was passing a second hand record shop and in the window was an old LP entitled ‘The World’s Wasps And The Sounds They Make’.

Obviously I was fascinated, so I went inside and asked the bloke if I could have a quick listen to it.

The bloke kindly put on track 1 for me, but embarrasingly I couldn't recognise the wasp making the noise - and even worse, I couldn't recognise any of the other wasps, which obviously made me feel a bit down, what with thinking I knew so much about them.
Just then, the shop owner took another look at the record and said "Ah!, sorry mate, that's my fault.....






































I was playing the B side."

Talking of wasps and records, Tom, check out the B-side to The Who's "Relay" (Polydor, 1972) for "Waspman"... a rare Keith Moon vocal. :offtopic:

 

[Yer Blues]

i wont be able to sleep now.

 

[osymandus]

Yes I'm reading Bad Science by Ben Goldacre and it's opened my eyes!

REally must get myself a copy of that . As the Good Doctor (who) said " You humans , people come along and tell you what to do you snap to it , its almost as if you enjoy it !"

A white coat is just another robe (see their almost the same lenght) , if they want let them question you walk away their mad.

 

[Mad Cyril]

While we are talking about winged stinging insects what about the Wasp?

Pound for pound surely the most terrifying animal in the world. It may only be a fraction of the size of a Lion, Tiger or Great White Shark but it can cause just the same amount of panic on the top deck of a double decker bus.

 

[MK Shrimper]

While we are talking about winged stinging insects what about the Wasp?

Pound for pound surely the most terrifying animal in the world. It may only be a fraction of the size of a Lion, Tiger or Great White Shark but it can cause just the same amount of panic on the top deck of a double decker bus.

Nazis of the animal kingdom without a doubt!

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

This was all foreseen in the rubbish Dreamworks "epic" Bee Movie...;)