Comments on: Bumblebees Also Unwell http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/photoimage/bumblebees-also-unwell/ Photos and Front Porch Musing from Floyd County Virginia Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:25:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Con http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/photoimage/bumblebees-also-unwell/comment-page-1/#comment-4190 Con Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:37:32 +0000 http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/2008/07/24/bumblebees-also-unwell/#comment-4190 Interesting catch, Fred, but I think the bumblebees are "managed" bumblebees and not "commercial bumblebee hives". I don't think bumblebees live in hives at all, and, hence, are not territorial. They are much easier to get along with than honeybees or hornets or wasps or yellow jackets who all have something to defend. With respect to the original article about disoriented bees found around commercial nurseries where managed bumblebees were used. Could it be there were few disoriented bees out in the wild because they can't make it out there and don't reproduce (ie, they die) rather than the implied conclusion that sooner or later all bumblebees will become disoriented leading to a major population collapse. Methinks it's much more complicated and dynamic than that. Still I wish the bumblebees well. Interesting catch, Fred, but I think the bumblebees are “managed” bumblebees and not “commercial bumblebee hives”. I don’t think bumblebees live in hives at all, and, hence, are not territorial. They are much easier to get along with than honeybees or hornets or wasps or yellow jackets who all have something to defend.

With respect to the original article about disoriented bees found around commercial nurseries where managed bumblebees were used. Could it be there were few disoriented bees out in the wild because they can’t make it out there and don’t reproduce (ie, they die) rather than the implied conclusion that sooner or later all bumblebees will become disoriented leading to a major population collapse. Methinks it’s much more complicated and dynamic than that. Still I wish the bumblebees well.

]]> By: Mike Nichols http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/photoimage/bumblebees-also-unwell/comment-page-1/#comment-4189 Mike Nichols Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:25:02 +0000 http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/2008/07/24/bumblebees-also-unwell/#comment-4189 There's an article on arstechnica in the science section about sick bees that you may be interested in: <a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/07/17/sick-bees-have-trouble-learning-remembering-nectar" rel="nofollow">Sick bees have trouble learning, remembering nectar sites</a> There’s an article on arstechnica in the science section about sick bees that you may be interested in:

Sick bees have trouble learning, remembering nectar sites

]]> By: Carrie http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/photoimage/bumblebees-also-unwell/comment-page-1/#comment-4188 Carrie Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:59:49 +0000 http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/2008/07/24/bumblebees-also-unwell/#comment-4188 The wild bumblebees link takes me to a page of ads... The wild bumblebees link takes me to a page of ads…

]]>