Fact checked: bees and pollination

This is an interesting read about bees role in pollination and how much of our food crop is reliant upon bees. It challenges the stated assumption of two thirds.

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Good article, thanks Alan. Shows how easily figures get misinterpreted, and then the opposite point gets a platform when it has to be put into proper perspective :roll_eyes:. I liked how the article emphasized the importance of the myriad other pollinators that are overlooked.

I do have one issue with introduced Honey Bees here in Australia. Different countries might have the same issue too.

Feral honey bees often occupy valuable and increasingly scarce tree hollows, that would otherwise be available to native wildlife.

Old tree hollows are getting really hard to find due to extensive logging, and some native species only nest in old tree hollows. Feral bees often hijack nest boxes too.

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It’s too bad about the way people want to clear away every scrap including standing dead trees - my husband is an arborist and when they’re not a safety concern on a property he always tries to convince the owner to leave a snag there for the wildlife. Few of them listen.

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