Thread: Look out the runner beans are coming!
View Single Post
  #20   Report Post  
Old 13-08-2013, 06:30 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Janet Janet is offline
external usenet poster
  
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: May 2013
Posts: 548
Default Look out the runner beans are coming!
In article ,
says...

On 2013-08-13 16:24:52 +0100, News said:
snip

It is so weird - and worrying. I've seen more bumbles than ever before
this year, but hardly any honey bees. I'm seeing my neighbour at the
weekend to talk about his hives (non-medical variety), but I think they
suffered really badly as a result of last year's summer

From the pov of eating honey that is a worry, I agree. But as honey
bees have been subjected to all kinds of disease and pest, it's sad but
not surprising that domesticating them has led to a bit of a crisis.
Wild bumble bees, otoh, are just fine, if our garden and greenhouses
are anything to go by and as they do just as good a job of pollination,
they're a welcome sight.

Only, they seem not to do as good a job of pollination. Numerous
posters have commented the same combination of unusual events in their
garden this year; hardly any honey bees; a bumble bee population
explosion, runner bean flowers failed to set.

Runner beans depend on insect pollination.

Janet
Reply With QuoteReply With Quote