We’ve all heard about the decline of pollinating insects and the problems that this could cause for biodiversity, not to mention food production. I mean, jeez they even made a children’s movie about it where the bee sues people for exploiting the hive for its honey. Consequently when the bees are out of “work” it causes dire consequences for nature and all the plants start to wilt and die. Ok, so “Bee Movie” isn’t exactly a scientific documentary, nor is it factually correct, but you get the point. Bees not working (or populations declining) = less pollination, less food and less plants.
But there’s no convincing some people. There are still scientists arguing that there is no pollination crisis, one of the main arguments is that it is actually an increase of pollinator reliant crops, not a decrease in pollinator populations, which is creating the apparent “shortage” (Aizen, Garibaldi, Cunningham & Klein, 2008). This paper goes on to suggest that pollinator reliant crops are now being grown in areas which previously supported other (non-reliant) crops and therefore there is no habitat in the vicinity to support natural pollinator populations and thus the “appearance” of pollinator decline.
This may be all well and good. I don’t dispute that habitat fragmentation limits natural populations, but has anybody told these people that you can hire bee-hives to pollinate your crops? Well you can. The problem being that domestic bees are also in decline suffering from diseases as well as bombardment from the notorious varroa mite, aptly named Varoa destructor, which is unfortunately becoming resistant to common acaricides. This has made honey bee colonies much harder to produce resulting in huge price increases, especially in America.
Let’s be honest if humans can’t increase bee populations giving them a hand up in every possible situation then what chance do the poor things have in the wild? Domestic bees get houses, habitat, food sources handed to them on a silver platter and at least some attempt to help control viruses and mites. Wild pollinators on the other hand have to deal with habitat fragmentation, urbanisation, industrialisation, pesticides, herbicides, pollution, invasive plants & animals, fly spray, fly swats, protective mothers, rolled up newspapers and steel cap boots. It’s not exactly easy street to the sweet life. IDIOTS!!
The second “myth busting” argument I have found is that perceptions of the so-called “crisis” have been swayed by declining populations in Europe and America and it is in fact not actually a “global” problem and pollinators in other-parts of the world have shown a “mixed reaction” (Ghazoul, 2005). Well we know that native big bodied bees are decline in the tropics as a result of Africanised honey-bees, we also know insects are declining in South America due to deforestation and increased agricultural production. Now if you ask me THATS A PRETTY BIG CHUNK OF THE WORLD!! IDIOT!!
Captain retardo here also goes on to say that only few staple food crops depend on pollinators and the ones that do are grown in small scale in agro-ecosystems which can support the populations. Sooooo.... define “staple food crops”?? Because I’m a pretty big fan of tomatoes, apples, plums, nectarines etc and I’m not really willing to give them up just because the problem hasn’t spread wide enough yet!! How long should we wait to sort it out?? IDIOTS!!
I’m angry now. I think I’ll go and eat a pear and smell some flowers WHILE I STILL CAN!!!
