[Pollinator] [beemonitoring] Should we tell them?
Peter Bernhardt
bernhap2 at slu.edu
Thu Apr 30 06:15:34 PDT 2015
Dear Sam:
You've come to the table a bit late and have not answered the original
question posed. Specifically, what do you do when you see enthusiastic
people offering unhelpful advice and the wrong materials based on your
field of knowledge? Announcing to shoppers that "pollinators are
endangered" is a bit overblown (all pollinators - which pollinators? A
"hotel" the size of a walnut made of garden mulch won't attract
megachilids, let alone any ground nesting bee, and one wonders which wasps
will take up residence amongst wood and bamboo chips? Likewise, failing to
read the instructions on a seed packet and placing those seeds in shallow,
fast-drying plastic cups with milled sphagnum moss won't produce a bed of
wildflowers. Obviously my technique of quickly quoting recent scientific
literature had no positive effect. A couple of other people following this
entry did have useful advice I want to emulate in the future. Go thou, and
do likewise.
We've had a long cool spring in St. Louis. This is the first time in
several years in which the return of the ruby throat hummingbirds matched
the flowering of red columbines (Aquilegia canadensis). The phenologies
of both species converged in my front garden, this morning, about 30
minutes ago.
Peter
On Thu, Apr 30, 2015 at 7:46 AM, Droege, Sam <sdroege at usgs.gov> wrote:
> Ok, my turn to weigh in here on this broad topic
>
>
> - From a population level point of view it is difficult to see how
> having homeowners put out any sort of hotel will impact bee or wasp
> populations in any significant way other than a temporary local one.
> - People's homes are usually in disturbed habitats, wasps and bees in
> these habitats are not usually the ones we are concerned about for
> conservation.
> - If you do the math the number of hotels necessary to alter
> population trajectories for bees or wasps are much larger than any
> realistic homeowner program can effect especially compared to losses due to
> the far larger impacts of habitat change and modification.
> - Like bird feeding (a much more harmful environmental activity as
> supplying bird feed destroys natural habitats) it engages the public
> directly and can lead to greater understanding and a shift in mindset that
> favors working on pollinator issues.
> - So, at the small scale it is a little bit harmful, but in the bigger
> picture there is little harm to our populations and much to gain from
> educating people, with perhaps some more nuance provided to those creating
> insect hotels.
> - The nesting wasps are not the type that will create problems for
> kids or homeowners unless they catch them in their hands....they don't
> defend their nests.
>
> sam
>
> Sam Droege sdroege at usgs.gov
> w 301-497-5840 h 301-390-7759 fax 301-497-5624
> USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
> BARC-EAST, BLDG 308, RM 124 10300 Balt. Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705
> Http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov
>
> Toad Traditions and Legends from Biological Leaflet "The Toad" 1922
>
> The toad is not an attractive animal and it has always been the object of
> curious beliefs or superstitions. Small boys believe that if one is
> killed and
> turned on its back there will be rain before night. For ages the general
> public
> has held to the belief that warts were produced by handling toads. Other
> traditions credit the toad with the power of poisoning infants with its
> breath;
> of bringing good fortune to the house in the new-made cellar of which one
> is
> found; of curing children of stammering if rubbed on the back of the neck;
> and of causing a cow to go dry or give bloody milk, if she accidentally
> kills a
> toad while being driven home from the pasture. The works of the early
> writers
> on natural history teem with vague unsubstantiated accounts of the venomous
> qualities of the breath and sputum of the toad, the medicinal value of the
> toad
> skins for treating certain ailments, and the valuable toadstone or jewel
> to be
> found in its head.
>
> On Tue, Apr 28, 2015 at 11:26 AM, John Purdy <johnrpurdy at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I am so glad to hear this dialog. it is hard enough to reduce science to
>> a level widely understood, but it is a constant bother to see people just
>> making up stories and using the internet to spread them.
>>
>> Thanks all
>>
>> On Mon, Apr 27, 2015 at 9:42 AM, Peter Bernhardt <bernhap2 at slu.edu>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Gord:
>>>
>>> Oh yes, there's a BIG gap between academics and the general public.
>>> It's the reason I turned to writing popular books 25 years ago (with very
>>> limited results). Steve Buchmann's upcoming book (The Reason for Flowers)
>>> will fill in gaps but the information our organizations have needs to be
>>> spread beyond publishing houses and Kindle. My original email on this
>>> topic has been bandied about but no one has really answered the question.
>>> What do we do when presumably well-meaning businesses or public
>>> institutions spread inaccurate information? How should I approach Whole
>>> Foods with basic information like...
>>>
>>> a) A bee hotel is made of hollow reeds, not mulch or garden debris, and
>>> most bees aren't interested in them anyway.
>>>
>>> b) If you do make one keep them out of the reach of small children as
>>> such hotels are almost invariably colonized by wasps.*
>>>
>>> c) To grow wildflowers follow the instructions on the packet. You're
>>> not going to have much success overcrowding seeds in small, shallow cups
>>> that lack a drainage hole.
>>>
>>> Ed Spevak has a big public outreach program on pollinators at the St.
>>> Louis Zoo and it works at several levels because different techniques are
>>> used to interest people in different age groups. I look forward to his
>>> comments.
>>>
>>> * Jack, I correspond with Dr. Alcock and used to correspond with the
>>> late Howard Ensign Evans so I know that wasps are are fascinating,
>>> beautiful, economically important and some are important pollinators (see
>>> my paper on Paeonia brownii). The public needs to know, though, that if
>>> their gardens cater to wasps be prepared to lose some of those nice
>>> butterflies and moths as their caterpillars will be converted to meat
>>> pastes by diligent foragers.
>>>
>>> Peter
>>>
>>> On Sun, Apr 26, 2015 at 9:22 PM, Odo Natasaki <odonatas at uvic.ca> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Michael,
>>>>
>>>> The same applies to odonates (compared to bats), but mostly I enlighten
>>>> people about odonates being "dragons" on the wing and they will even be
>>>> cannibalistic given the chance.
>>>>
>>>> I agree that there is a lot of "mal-information" when it comes to
>>>> passing information to the general public, but at least some of us are
>>>> trying to do it properly. I've noted quite a disconnect between some
>>>> academics and the general public. That's where I like to come in for
>>>> instance.
>>>>
>>>> Gord Hutchings
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>> On Apr 26, 2015, at 9:56 AM, "askartie at aol.com [beemonitoring]" <
>>>> beemonitoring-noreply at yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I have to agree with Dave. Sometimes misguided information can be a
>>>> problem. We see this in the mosquito world a lot. I often hear of
>>>> websites quoting some statistic that bats can eat 2000 mosquitoes in one
>>>> night. Well, sure if they are in a room with nothing but mosquitoes (I
>>>> would probably eat a bunch too if placed in such quarters), but in the real
>>>> world we know that optimal foraging will have them chasing down noctuid
>>>> moths and other juicer morsels - why eat a piece of popcorn when there is
>>>> steak flying around? However, because of that one statistic, there are
>>>> people who think the best way to eliminate mosquitoes is to put bat boxes
>>>> everywhere. Ah...if only it were that simple. I love bats (and the
>>>> various insects and arachnids that actually use the bat boxes since the
>>>> bats rarely do in most parts of the world), and am glad that people are
>>>> becoming aware of the importance of bats in nature. Unfortunately, the
>>>> misguided education sometimes prevents the use of effective mosquito
>>>> control methods. If there are ways to present the same information in a
>>>> manner that is effective, we should encourage that instead. Dave's "Things
>>>> to Do" list makes a lot more sense than sending people home with a ball of
>>>> sticks and a plant that won't survive. We can do awareness AND good
>>>> education at the same time. We must.
>>>>
>>>> Happy Spring!
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Michael J. Weissmann, Ph.D., Entomologist
>>>> Kallima Consultants, Inc.
>>>> P.O. Box 33084
>>>> Northglenn, CO 80233-0084 USA
>>>> Phone: 720-872-6262
>>>> E-mail: AskArtie at aol.com
>>>> Website: http://kallimaconsultants.squarespace.com/consulting/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In a message dated 4/26/2015 9:18:01 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
>>>> beemonitoring-noreply at yahoogroups.com writes:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I believe there is a strategic dance between awareness and misguided
>>>> education.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Peter is right that Whole Foods, at this particular store, is
>>>> potentially teaching poor bee management techniques. However, they are
>>>> enlightening their customers that there are more bees than the one. …and
>>>> if someone asks “where is the honey stored?”, the store clerks might be
>>>> able to add “not all bees make honey and there are a lot of bees out in our
>>>> yards that are endangered.” That’s potentially the end of their
>>>> knowledge. Adding a few flowers, though possibly ineffective, provides
>>>> something easy that a person can do.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The first step of actually reaching the public with this small bit of
>>>> information is wonderful.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whole Foods, from what I understand, is based on independent stores
>>>> making independent decisions. Thus, I surmise that Peter found the only
>>>> store in all of Whole Foods that had this one approach. The employees are
>>>> empowered to make differences… I don’t think it’s a top down education
>>>> program.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Two paths that my team will be taking on in the next few months.
>>>>
>>>> Create an infographic that could be forwarded to the various Whole
>>>> Foods districts. It will have simple awareness bullets as well as simple
>>>> “what you can do to help the pollinators” tips. We’ll try to have this
>>>> distributed prior to Pollinator Week that pollinator.org founded.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *An example might be:*
>>>>
>>>> · Most of our 4,000 native bee species nests in the ground
>>>>
>>>> · Not all bees make honey
>>>>
>>>> · There are other bees that are superior pollinators than
>>>> others.
>>>>
>>>> · Most of the bees are solitary and are gentle… less likely to
>>>> sting you.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Things to do:*
>>>>
>>>> · Remove a portion of your lawn and add some native flowers
>>>>
>>>> · Have flowers in bloom from as early as possible to late in
>>>> the season as possible
>>>>
>>>> · Try growing some food
>>>>
>>>> · Try raising hole-nesting bees
>>>>
>>>> · Use one less chemical in your yard
>>>>
>>>> · Leave portions of your yard without mulch/beauty bark for
>>>> ground nesting bees.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> While this infographic may not reach all stores, and all stores may not
>>>> have employees that care enough to teach their customers, it will be a
>>>> steady march in the right direction of public awareness to our native bees.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Peter, thanks for this string.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> If anyone would like to help, please reach out to me.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dave Hunter
>>>>
>>>> <image003.png>
>>>>
>>>> O. 425.949.7954
>>>>
>>>> C. 206.851.1263
>>>>
>>>> www.crownbees.com
>>>>
>>>> Click below to hear the buzz!
>>>>
>>>> *<image004.jpg>* <http://www.facebook.com/CrownBees>*<image005.png>*
>>>> <http://pinterest.com/crownbees>*<image006.jpg>*
>>>> <http://twitter.com/#!/crownbees>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* beemonitoring at yahoogroups.com [
>>>> mailto:beemonitoring at yahoogroups.com <beemonitoring at yahoogroups.com>] *On
>>>> Behalf Of *Jack Neff jlnatctmi at yahoo.com [beemonitoring]
>>>> *Sent:* Sunday, April 26, 2015 7:36 AM
>>>> *To:* Peter Bernhardt; Bee United; Pollinator List-serv; Ed Spevak
>>>> *Subject:* Re: [beemonitoring] Should we tell them?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I see nothing wrong with setting out "bee hotels" as they are a step to
>>>> increasing awareness. If nest sites aren't limiting in the area, they
>>>> won't do much for bee populations but they won't hurt. More likely various
>>>> eumenines, pompilids and sphecoids will set up shop and these are all
>>>> generally considered beneficial (unless one is a big fan of caterpillars,
>>>> spiders or crickets). The only wasp predators of bees (Philanthus) are
>>>> ground nesters. Eventually such hotels will attract nest parasitoids and
>>>> if unmanaged, become unsustainable, but this happens at reused natural
>>>> nest sites as well.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> best
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Jack
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> John L. Neff
>>>> Central Texas Melittological Institute
>>>> 7307 Running Rope
>>>> Austin,TX 78731 USA
>>>> 512-345-7219
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sunday, April 26, 2015 8:51 AM, "Peter Bernhardt bernhap2 at slu.edu
>>>> [beemonitoring]" <beemonitoring-noreply at yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Has anyone been to a Whole Foods store in the last couple of weeks? A
>>>> week ago I went in to buy a piece of fish. When I entered the vegetable
>>>> section I was greeted by two women who announced that "Pollinators are
>>>> Endangered." I was invited to make a "bug hotel" to attract them to my
>>>> garden. Yes, they were assembling twigs and broken stalks into balls
>>>> secured by wire. I told them that the most recent publication on these bee
>>>> motels is that they were not good for bees (most are ground nesters) and
>>>> were more likely to attract bee predators like certain wasps. One of the
>>>> Whole Food Employees was miffed. She snapped, "Good, I love wasps."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On the way out of the store more employees stood by a table offering
>>>> tiny, shallow, pots the circumference of 50 cent pieces. There was dry,
>>>> potting medium in the pots and they threw seeds of some composite (probably
>>>> a coreopsis) on the surface."Would you like to learn how to garden with
>>>> wildflowers and help our pollinators?" one asked. "I already garden with
>>>> wildflowers," I replied.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Well," if you go inside they will show you how to make a bug hotel."
>>>> I repeated pretty much what I'd said to the hotel makers. I also
>>>> suggested they might join NAPPC and explained the acronym. It seemed best
>>>> to leave and not tell them that those seeds wouldn't do very well in such a
>>>> tiny, shallow pot.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Here in St. Louis, the Whole Foods employees are quite young and they
>>>> are always full of advice. Would it be possible for us to offer them
>>>> accurate information? Currently, the St. Louis Zoo does a very nice job
>>>> educating its members about pollinators during pollinator week in June.
>>>> Our lab puts up posters, exhibits boxes of specimens. We sell some of our
>>>> books and photos.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Peter
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> __._,_.___
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>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> John Purdy PhD
>> Environmental Scientist
>> Abacus Consulting Services Ltd
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
> --
> *Bees are Not Optional*
>
> *Apes sunt et non liberum*
>
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