CCD and alternative pollinators

[BjornBee]

A year ago, I mentioned that Penn State officials were speaking at fruit growers meetings. That there was some serious talk about growers using alternative pollinators, and looking for solutions to the hysteria, hype, and claims to congress that the sky was falling. And although some denounced any such idea that honeybees were ever going to be replaced or another pollinator capable, it seems that many wheels have been spinning all the while.

I have heard of research in California and the almond industry. I know about talks and seminars at fruit growers association meetings. And a lot of other indicators that people are not sitting around doing nothing.

In the Feb 16, 2008 copy of the "Lancaster Farming", there is an article on page A18 entitled "Expert Sees Solitary Bees As Good Alternative To Depleted Honeybee Populations". (I can not seem to find an electronic form to post) It was based on a talk to the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable convention, by professor of entomology Dr. Shelby Fliescher.

It mentions a Princeton research study, that compared solitary bees to honeybees at 23 farms in the northeast. And it showed that solitary bees are far superior pollinators as compared to honeybees. It also did mention the susceptibility of solitary bees to pesticides and other issues. There are some pro and con issues noted.

My point in mentioning this, was to show that people, researchers, and farmers, are all looking at options to traditional honeybee pollination. I think the attitude that honeybees are a guaranteed thing, and no concern should be taken, perhaps needs to be at least kept within reason. No doubt that when large university studies shows positives to alternative pollination options, and talks to large grower associations such as this take place, people are asking questions. The Lancaster farming newspaper is huge in readership in the farming community on the east coast

I see the phone at the bumblebee companies and those providing alternative pollination, ringing off the wall in the years to come. And I see most of the CCD related mess possibly being contributed to the honeybee industry itself. I see a bloody foot shot by the owner of the foot, then business being lost because of it.

I said it a year ago, and I'll say it again...when you go before congress and cry the blues, suggesting we have a problem in the industry that we can not deal with, that we have no control over, its not good. I questioned any backlash or negative impact, and was told that honeybee business would never be threatened or replaced on any scale. I did not agree then, and I don't agree now. When we stand up and suggest the food crops are in peril, that congress needs to get involved, that we are on the verge of collapse....things sometimes work in ways that was not intended. People will find other options. Other products will fill the gap. And it may never be more than a slice of the business, its still a slice.

Farmers and researchers are not at our mercy. We need to stop thinking they are. In the long run, it will hurt us. Farmers will find alternatives.

[Ian]

They use solitary bees up here to pollinate alfalfa fields. They provide an efficient measure of pollination and they can be managed to evenly pollinate feilds.
Unlike a honeybee, they will pollinate only 100 feet or so around their nest. So stagering nests across the field gives a completely pollinated crop.
They have thier dis advantages though, they dont produce a surplus crop to harvest, they have chalkbrood concerns, they require a controled environment to overwinter, they are very labour intensive, thier work is dependant on temperature, they cant be managed in and out of fields like you can with honey bees. But all that is outweighed by thier extreem efficiency with pollination.

With hybrid canola pollination up, honeybees are prefered becasue of the cost efficiency, I would say due to the honey crop being factored in.

Hard to say if solitary bees will take the honeybees place. there are soo many hurdles to have to cross to make thier management work efficiently and consistantly.

Afterall they still are getting enough bees to cover the contracts.

[BjornBee]

Good points Ian.

The farmers that I reference are those that don't consider a honey crop an issue when choosing a pollination mechanism. They want pollination. They may not even be concerned about overwintering. They are buying throw away pollination/bumblebee units (until they find out they CAN overwinter them). I think many of the points you reference are beekeeper concerns, not farmer concerns. And I have never seen labor issues with a box of bumblebees.

And I actually see a possible throw away unit business in the future with almonds, etc. Honey and overwintering are beekeepers concerns, not farmers.

I think your correct about bee covering contracts. But the buzz in these conventions, is the CCD crisis, the need for a backup plan, and the distribution of ideas that alternative pollination is something to consider. Certainly I don't see anything replacing the honeybee outright. But I do see a wave of lectures, association meetings, and buzz in farming circles about the demise of the honeybee, the need for alternative plans, etc.

I do a bit of vine crop pollination. And in the last year more than several have asked me about bumblebee, mason, and options other than honeybees. Not because I had bad honeybees. But because all they hear is the honeybee is in trouble, and they better consider other options.

If you take this potential small slice of the pie perhaps going to an increase in farmers looking at bumblebee units, and combine that with perhaps more than several new varieties of fruit and vegetable that require no pollination possible coming out in the years to come, than certainly some loss across the board may be seen.

Right now, bumblebees in particular are expensive. But as more farmers seek them, more producers may get into producing them, and cost may in fact may come down after the initial increase due to demand. And even if cost does not come down, have you seen some of the soaring pollination fees for honeybees? Thus even perhaps making these options more viable sooner than later.

I just don't think its good for the industry for traditional farmers who for years rented honeybees, to now be in a position to possibly seek other options. But thats what is being discussed at these associations. And if a few try it, perhaps they will fail. Perhaps someone will perfect a management system, or maybe someone will find out how they can make them effective, cost reasonable, and beneficial. I wish that pandora's box would of never been opened. It may not effect any particular beekeeper. But as a whole, I think the industry for beekeepers, could be diminished over the years. Maybe not with the largest of farming practices. But a lot of smaller and medium farming pollination contracts that so many rely on through the summer.

[Ravenseye]

BjornBee, your topic is incredibly timely. It speaks more to human nature than to beekeeping. So, in line with that, I'd like to share a story.

A few weeks ago, I dropped in on a local guy who has a tree service and also sells firewood. While his son was dropping bucketfuls of wood into my pickup, I struck up a conversation. He has a fair amount (for around here) of farmland and he sells his crops to local stands. He noticed a bee decal on the back window of my truck and asked me if I was a beek. Acknowledging that I was, he then told me that I'd be welcome to place hives on his land anytime I wanted to. I discussed my concern with pesticides and he assured me that he didn't use any. He told me that he was worried about the future of bees and that even though he probably didn't need my bees (he's never placed colonies on his property before), he just felt that making space for bees was the right thing to do. BUT, he also said that not many people would feel the same way. "I'm an old timer", he said. "Most people nowadays just look for the easy way out".

So Bjorn, I think you're right. There will be continued efforts at discovering what CCD is all about and how to deal with it. But I wouldn't count on overwhelming support from the people that need pollinators. In the end, we humans admire efficiency and we're cost conscious. Some crops need pollination, not necessarily bees. As beekeepers, we need to see how the world looks to everyone, not just us. I would guess that the original land owner that plowed the fields around my old home would have never imagined that the job would ever be done efficiently without farm animals. Today, we can only imagine how it was without mechanical beasts.

I'll take all the help we can get, but I'm way too Yankee to be expecting a cure just because I want one.

[Ian]

I didnt mention, these guys are useing leaf cutter bees.
I totally agree, the farmer doesnt care about the well being or any other such issue in releation to our side of the busieness as long as thier pollination concerns are covered.

Most all these guys here raise thier own bees to pollinate thier own crops, so these guys have factored all this into consideration.

It would be interesting to observe all the disease concerns if any that would arise if there rise a larger scale pollination business based on solitary bees. It would be very interesting to see how they would manage a throw away pollination business.