Not many beekeepers are aware of the underlying negative tone that some folks have concerning honey bees, many which have fostered support of beekeepers for years, and many times are seen as beekeeper friendly. Many beekeepers do not know the difference between "Native pollinator" programs, and "Beneficial Pollinator" programs. Recently, a news article acknowledging that many entomologists being "deliriously happy" in regards to the decline of honey bees, has been published. The article restates claims that honey bees are an invasive species. Please read the information and article link found here: http://www.nationalhoneybeeday.org/bannativepollinatorlabel.html
We encourage all beekeepers to support gardening groups, environmental centers, and pollinator programs. But please be wary of "Native Pollinator" programs, that exclude the honey bees. There is a huge difference, between "Native Pollinator" programs, and those called "Beneficial Pollinator", which support the beekeeping community. Please support those programs that also support the honey bee.
Thank you!
Bjorn,
Welcome back. I have not seen a post from you since 2013.
That is good info to know. Thanks.
Jim
Sawdstmakr,
Thank you. Yes, it has been awhile.
Thought posting this here might gin up some support. But as usual, not many beekeepers know, care, or are willing to do much.
Here is another article where state parks and federal lands are being targeted as off limited by state and federal agencies....all based by those using the excuse that honey bees are a non-native species and invasive.
http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060009767
Just wish more beekeepers would recognize the cancerous destruction of support for beekeeping in the U.S., and the forces working behind the scenes against beekeeping and the honey bees.
This position by the feds (and the trickle down to state and local areas) that bees are non-native and invasive will be used by local townships and state agencies in the future to ban beekeeping when they want too.
Meanwhile.....not a word from the bee industry....to which many times are those in positions of extension programs, state Ag entomologist, and others position of speaking for the bee industry. Their support is crumbling before our eyes. And beekeeping in the future will suffer.
Bjorn,
Luckily here in FL the state stepped in and took control from local governments to keep them from being banned due to AHB's in the south of FL. The only problem is that they then added heavy restrictions on the entire state to appease the groups in the south that have the problem.
Isn't it amazing that an insect that has been here for almost 400 years now are still considered invasive.
What we need is for an archaeologist to find a bee in amber here in North America that predates our arrival. I bet they were here at one time in history.
Jim
Thanks for the info bjourn. I will spread the word. Good to see you drop in.
The question of whether or not honey bees are native has been discussed since at least the 1700s in North American bee journals and by the scientists. No new evidence ever came forward that I know in the meantime to prove it one way or the other but the scientists just quit discussing it and made the assumption that they are not. In the ABJ of June 1923 (vol 63 no 6) there is an article on pg 299 with a lot of evidence presented to show they ARE native. On page 301 an excerpt from a Spanish book from the 1700's claiming they are native. And in that same edition, an appeal from Frank Pellet for anyone having any evidence one way or the other on the question to please present it since it had not been clearly proven one way or the other. There are many similar articles from the beginning of ABJ until at least the 40s on the topic of native honey bees. But since the current view of the "experts" is that they are not native, that probably won't get far.
I find the whole concept strange. A bunch of European people living in North America, living on plants and animals that mostly came from Europe, in an ecology that has adapted to those European plants and animals for the last 500 years or more and they want to act like anything not "native" is evil. Hypocritical at best. The people with that view should go back to Europe...
"I find the whole concept strange. A bunch of European people living in North America, living on plants and animals that mostly came from Europe, in an ecology that has adapted to those European plants and animals for the last 500 years or more and they want to act like anything not "native" is evil. Hypocritical at best. The people with that view should go back to Europe..."
Wouldn't that be nice.
Jim
Since I am native American, plus about 6 other nationalities, who is going to divide up all the parts and send those foreign portions back over to the correct countries?
Earthworms are now "evil". Apparently if there ever were native earthworms they were killed off in the ice age. Now they are destroying the forests:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9105956
>Since I am native American, plus about 6 other nationalities, who is going to divide up all the parts and send those foreign portions back over to the correct countries?
And that's the problem with everything else as well. We now have a different ecology because of transplants from Europe and we have a different race of people because of transplants from Europe. You can't undo it... I think this thinking is driven by those people who always thing things are "wrong" and need to be "fixed".
Quote from: iddee on January 13, 2015, 01:11:08 PM
Since I am native American, plus about 6 other nationalities, who is going to divide up all the parts and send those foreign portions back over to the correct countries?
Can I help divide and send back the portions I want tooooo :grin: Sorry id couldn't resist!
Quote from: sawdstmakr on January 13, 2015, 12:37:28 PM
Bjorn,
Luckily here in FL the state stepped in and took control from local governments to keep them from being banned due to AHB's in the south of FL. The only problem is that they then added heavy restrictions on the entire state to appease the groups in the south that have the problem.
Isn't it amazing that an insect that has been here for almost 400 years now are still considered invasive.
What we need is for an archaeologist to find a bee in amber here in North America that predates our arrival. I bet they were here at one time in history.
Jim
And Cows, and Goats, and Corn, and Rice, and Potato's. Hay almost every plant in our yards is foreign
Quote from: Michael Bush on January 13, 2015, 01:17:06 PM
Earthworms are now "evil". Apparently if there ever were native earthworms they were killed off in the ice age. Now they are destroying the forests:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9105956
>Since I am native American, plus about 6 other nationalities, who is going to divide up all the parts and send those foreign portions back over to the correct countries?
And that's the problem with everything else as well. We now have a different ecology because of transplants from Europe and we have a different race of people because of transplants from Europe. You can't undo it... I think this thinking is driven by those people who always thing things are "wrong" and need to be "fixed".
Mike,
No tax payer money is required to leave things as is .
Jim
Anndddd.... WE are not an invasive species? Seems that WE do more damage to the natural ecology than any other invasive species "WE" have introduced..
My Wife has native American blood, so hopefully she will decide to keep me when they start separating what belongs and what goes.
I just looked up what MN says are invasive plants and find that almost everything I've planted is. White and yellow, sweet clover, hairy vetch, birdsfoot trefoil... I didn't plant the black locust, but I do let it grow... Let's hear it for invasive plants! I seriously think that word doesn't mean what they think it does. I think "invasive" means "honey"...
How about all the non-native song birds? Maybe we should wipe them out...
http://www.cawildlife911.org/songbirds/sb_non.php
Yet most of them are protected species sometimes even by international treaty...
I think the whole "non-native"="evil" movement is very damaging to the current ecology. There is no going back.
bet they'll try
will you scream with me?
Quote from: jayj200 on January 14, 2015, 09:27:23 AM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on January 13, 2015, 12:37:28 PM
Bjorn,
Luckily here in FL the state stepped in and took control from local governments to keep them from being banned due to AHB's in the south of FL. The only problem is that they then added heavy restrictions on the entire state to appease the groups in the south that have the problem.
Isn't it amazing that an insect that has been here for almost 400 years now are still considered invasive.
What we need is for an archaeologist to find a bee in amber here in North America that predates our arrival. I bet they were here at one time in history.
Jim
I'm not sure but I think corn was here before Europeans were. :smile:
And Cows, and Goats, and Corn, and Rice, and Potato's. Hay almost every plant in our yards is foreign
Gee Whiz that's a lot to take in. :grin:
Quote from: sc-bee on January 13, 2015, 02:01:49 PM
Quote from: iddee on January 13, 2015, 01:11:08 PM
Since I am native American, plus about 6 other nationalities, who is going to divide up all the parts and send those foreign portions back over to the correct countries?
Can I help divide and send back the portions I want tooooo :grin: Sorry id couldn't resist!
I kknow where to send you
Bjorn,
Thanks for the info, this coming Saturday night is our bee club meeting. I will pass it on.
Joe
I always figured you had to "follow the money"....could it be the big sugar producers are lobbying since so many people are now using honey instead of sugar? I know we do.
Carol
I sure wish you were right the average American eats/drinks about half a pound of sugar per day and only about a pound and a half of honey per year.Big sugar has very little to worry about such as honey and other sweeteners such as molasses or maple syrup.
BEE HAPPY Jlm 134 :smile: