Most people would equate “managing pollinators” to beekeeping. Which means working with a managed pollinator, i.e. the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. Which isn’t the meaning I’m referring to here. This month, we’ve been talking about agriculture and how it depends on pollination. I tried to clarify how much crop production depends on biodiversity, gave […]
Flowering strips seem to be a go-to when it comes to helping bees in farmland. They’re meant to be a countermeasure against the floral deficits because of intense agriculture. And of course, flowers and bees, they’re the perfect match, aren’t they? Yes, they are. However, you may already imagine that I’m not an unquestioning fan. […]
I think, most of us agree that pollination is an important ecosystem service. But is pollinator limitation a thing? Is pollination a limiting factor for crop production? Or are other factors like nutrients or crop pests more important for reduced crop yields? This isn’t easy to answer, the weight of different factors will be different […]
Our land use is a reason for concern: with increasing human population on earth, we’re claiming more and more of it. We use it to build houses, streets – and to produce our food on it. With all those humans needing food, crop production has focussed on maximizing yields. This has caused undeniable problems. In […]
Bee hotels are very popular at the moment. Everybody sells them, often with the popular “save the bees!” attached to it. But are they really worth the hype? I’m not that convinced, as you may already imagine. Let’s start with the positive: insect hotels are a nice way for people, especially children, to learn about […]
One could think pollinator conservation is a very important issue and taken seriously all over the world. At the latest since the pollinator assessment from IPBES was published, the discussion about pollinator decline is going beyond science and conservationists. Very often I get asked about bees. Many want to start beekeeping. I then explain why […]
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