No hum

It is probable that there are several causes of Colony Collapse Disorder and the use of chemicals is just one factor. I'm just concerned that yet again political lobbyist are poking their sticky little fingers into important issues to protect their own profits. There's always a tame scientist to be bought if the price is right.

This looks as if it could be quite informative, Jess

Seem to remember seeing something about nicotinoids affecting navigation in bumble bees bags ? Which would be incredibly serious if it did as they forage and navigate over very large areas.

Good news about the grain yield.
There were definitely less honey bees around this spring here. I'm hoping that it was down to the unusually long wet winter rather than anything more serious. Incessant noise from the cicadas and plenty of other flying things. This morning I watched a bee trying to get the last scrap of pollen from a pineapple sage. There are lots of the big carpenter bees and butterflies, including a group of swallowtails returning time and time again to the lantana bush.

I still haven't seen honey bees in my garden this year, though plenty of everything else. One does wonder....

The so-called 'link' that the article mentions has not been established scientifically. I think that is why the British Government opposed the pesticide ban. However, other European governments voted for it so it happened.

I believe it is only honey bees thought to be affected. That should always be made clear.

bee decline in the UK

Two summers ago after floods in Oz each night we had a huge amount of mosquitoes (similar to midges but apparently different). There was also swarms of dragonflies each evening and I was told they eat the mosquitoes.

I think it is worrying that there is a [[http://www.bfa.com.au/portals/0/BFAFiles/AUT09-where-have-bees-gone.pdf worldwide shortage of bees. I have noticed I don't see many bees anymore.

Lots of buzzing and humming around our cottage garden here, and in the flower meadow at the back. Our pond is full of dragon flies larvae and newts- and watching the larvae climb on the reeds and begin the metamorphosis is an amazing sight.

Highest yield ever, apparently. Even with modern farming there are bound to be bad years and good years. But if the average yield is increasing, that's good.

Anyway, I thought it was good news.

That's an improvement on last year then, when yields were right down in US and N europe.

Yes, jess. I know that. Just saying there's plenty of grain.

Grain is wind pollinated bags
Fruit, beans etc are insect pollinated. If the flower is has petals then the odds are insects essential.

www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/csdb/en/

I think the UN has declared a bumper global grain crop this year. I'll see if I can find the reference.

Insects have very different life cycles e.g. bumble bees much more complex than flies. BB queens normally hibernate, then emerge on warm days in spring to find an old nest (mouse nest or something) to start a new colony. My garden is planted from scratch to feed bumble bees and other pollinators. Very slow start to the year. Few more about but well down on normal year. No wasps either - they eat caterpillars etc in spring and if no caterpillars they are affected I think.
it will be interesting to see whether it affects crops.

Very few bees or butterflies here in our garden in north Devon. There was one lone bumble in the foxgloves last evening, and I spent an interested afternoon watching some leaf cutter bees busily setting up a nest in an abandoned flower pot. Must now be very careful to make sure no one tidies up said pot. Does anyone know how long the bees will take to hatch?

The curious thing is that as soon as the chicken was put in the fridge/put on a plate and eaten, the flies all disappeared out side again. Even the first lot, which I had sprayed with fly killer, as I said, all the food was covered. Not a single fly carcase in the kitchen even when they were buzzing and flying erratically, the way insecticide zapped flies do.

Flickety we once had a nest of large flies in our loft. They kept appearing in the rooms downstairs until we realised what was happening!

We have been inundated with honey bees this year and also reckon someone must be keeping bees nearby. We used to see loads but our bee-keeping friend died and we have had only bumble bees visiting until this year.

It is very odd, no hum outside, but 10 days ago I poached some chicken and left it on the side to cool. Fortunately I covered it. Half an hour later I heard a very loud buzz from the kitchen and went in to find about 20 large flies buzzing around the (well covered) chicken.

Earlier today I got some prawns from the freezer and put them in a carefully covered bowl to defrost, nary a fly appeared, but I then got a chicken casserole out of the freezer, defrosted and heated it and left it on the side (covered) while I cooked some rice. Within minutes flies were swarming around it.

My fading cotoneaster and pyracantha don't look very inviting now the flowers are going over, but they have been covered in bees. I thought someone must have installed a nearby hive, it's been that noisy.

Lots of bees in my garden .They particularly like the Honeysuckle and Hypericum

I've seen bees on my lavender this week, but not a lot of them.

Lots of hum here, bees, hornets (!) and cicadas.