RE: [CH] "artificial" pollination with brush
Pieters, Rob (Rob.Pieters@Netherlands.honeywell.com)
Mon, 31 Aug 1998 09:04:54 +0100
> >
>Doug in DC wrote;
>...there are two mites, one from Europe and one from
>Asia...one gets into the digestive tract of the bee and the other
feeds
>on the hatching eggs, the pupa and kills them off...this is a very
>serious problem that will affect the production of honey for as
long as
>it takes to control it, and unfortunately, not much is working well
at
Never heard of mites as a threat for the bee population, here in Holland we
have, besides of bee populations killed by poisoning etc., an other problem.
The occupation has become a threat, nobody is looking/learning to become an
bee keeper here any more.
It seems to be hard work for a little money, and this is not of any bodies
interest.
I've read somewhere that 30 % of the bee population held by bee keepers is
gone already in the past 4 years. (and this is only due to passed away and
retired bee keepers)
The worry here is that if this again decline with 30% we don't have enough
insects in total to pollinate all fruit and greens we are growing here.....
I don't know if it is true but it's interesting to think it over...... and
find a way to build robot bee's flying around on solar cell powered
engines... programmed to selective pollination.
Hot regardZZZZZZ
Rob