▲ 744 ▼ Scientists found the missing nutrients bees need — Colonies grew 15-fold (www.sciencedaily.com) submitted 1 year ago by Sludgehammer@lemmy.world to c/science@lemmy.world 114 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[+] quick_snail@feddit.nl -9 points 1 year ago (9 children) What if we just stopped stealing their honey? permalink fedilink source hideshow 9 child comments replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 7 points 1 year ago (5 children) Debatable if it is considered stealing as beekeepers usually care of the bees, monitor possible diseases, and keep them from harm by providing suitable shelter. How about we change the harvesting methods to be more bee-friendly. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 5 child comments replies: [–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (3 children) In a standard bee hive setup you don't even extract honey from for over a year. You have to ensure a population that is high and only take when there would be abundance. It would be counter productive to extract too much honey because it makes their population not grow as fast, and therefore end in lower honey production. I doubt bee farmers are trying to get less honey. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 3 child comments replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago (2 children) Well, you can't have infinite growth if you can't house them. At some point, all you beehives are full so you take as much as possible without hindering the population. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago (1 child) If their population gets to big dont they just split essentially, the old queen and a bunch of bees "swarm" which is just them moving elsewhere, which the old hive usually just raises a new queen and keeps going. Or are you saying they are worried to many bees will leave or they may not get a new queen in time? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago What I was talking about is taking honey from bees. You take too much some of them will die, you don't take any the population will grow. Beekeepers know how much honey to take so they won't breed too much and split (because you bees expanding and splitting doesn't benefit you). permalink fedilink source parent [–] quick_snail@feddit.nl -2 points 1 year ago Lol wut. Most honey today means killing all the bees every season and buying a new batch from the breeders the next season. They don't "take care" of the bees any more than a butcher "takes care" of their pigs permalink fedilink source parent [–] Sunflier@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* It's not the honey that produces the nutrient. The nutrient comes from a plant and climate change is probably altering plant biology to make this nutrient harder to come by. Not to mention the supplemental feed given to bees late fall through early spring (a period where honey harvests have ceased) probably lacked that nutrient. So, not harvesting honey wouldn't be the answer. Honey bees have been apart of the agricultural process for thousands of years (honey was harvested as far back as ancient Egypt and was used in the mummification process). So, if we stopped honey harvesting, it would be detrimental to both bees and the agricultural system. permalink fedilink source parent [–] apftwb@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago (1 child) Do you have any idea how hard it is to milk each and every bee. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 point 1 year ago I prefer to milk sugar canes. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] derpgon@programming.dev 7 points 1 year ago (5 children) Debatable if it is considered stealing as beekeepers usually care of the bees, monitor possible diseases, and keep them from harm by providing suitable shelter. How about we change the harvesting methods to be more bee-friendly. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 5 child comments replies: [–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (3 children) In a standard bee hive setup you don't even extract honey from for over a year. You have to ensure a population that is high and only take when there would be abundance. It would be counter productive to extract too much honey because it makes their population not grow as fast, and therefore end in lower honey production. I doubt bee farmers are trying to get less honey. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 3 child comments replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago (2 children) Well, you can't have infinite growth if you can't house them. At some point, all you beehives are full so you take as much as possible without hindering the population. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago (1 child) If their population gets to big dont they just split essentially, the old queen and a bunch of bees "swarm" which is just them moving elsewhere, which the old hive usually just raises a new queen and keeps going. Or are you saying they are worried to many bees will leave or they may not get a new queen in time? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago What I was talking about is taking honey from bees. You take too much some of them will die, you don't take any the population will grow. Beekeepers know how much honey to take so they won't breed too much and split (because you bees expanding and splitting doesn't benefit you). permalink fedilink source parent [–] quick_snail@feddit.nl -2 points 1 year ago Lol wut. Most honey today means killing all the bees every season and buying a new batch from the breeders the next season. They don't "take care" of the bees any more than a butcher "takes care" of their pigs permalink fedilink source parent
[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (3 children) In a standard bee hive setup you don't even extract honey from for over a year. You have to ensure a population that is high and only take when there would be abundance. It would be counter productive to extract too much honey because it makes their population not grow as fast, and therefore end in lower honey production. I doubt bee farmers are trying to get less honey. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 3 child comments replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago (2 children) Well, you can't have infinite growth if you can't house them. At some point, all you beehives are full so you take as much as possible without hindering the population. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago (1 child) If their population gets to big dont they just split essentially, the old queen and a bunch of bees "swarm" which is just them moving elsewhere, which the old hive usually just raises a new queen and keeps going. Or are you saying they are worried to many bees will leave or they may not get a new queen in time? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago What I was talking about is taking honey from bees. You take too much some of them will die, you don't take any the population will grow. Beekeepers know how much honey to take so they won't breed too much and split (because you bees expanding and splitting doesn't benefit you). permalink fedilink source parent
[–] derpgon@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago (2 children) Well, you can't have infinite growth if you can't house them. At some point, all you beehives are full so you take as much as possible without hindering the population. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago (1 child) If their population gets to big dont they just split essentially, the old queen and a bunch of bees "swarm" which is just them moving elsewhere, which the old hive usually just raises a new queen and keeps going. Or are you saying they are worried to many bees will leave or they may not get a new queen in time? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago What I was talking about is taking honey from bees. You take too much some of them will die, you don't take any the population will grow. Beekeepers know how much honey to take so they won't breed too much and split (because you bees expanding and splitting doesn't benefit you). permalink fedilink source parent
[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago (1 child) If their population gets to big dont they just split essentially, the old queen and a bunch of bees "swarm" which is just them moving elsewhere, which the old hive usually just raises a new queen and keeps going. Or are you saying they are worried to many bees will leave or they may not get a new queen in time? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago What I was talking about is taking honey from bees. You take too much some of them will die, you don't take any the population will grow. Beekeepers know how much honey to take so they won't breed too much and split (because you bees expanding and splitting doesn't benefit you). permalink fedilink source parent
[–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago What I was talking about is taking honey from bees. You take too much some of them will die, you don't take any the population will grow. Beekeepers know how much honey to take so they won't breed too much and split (because you bees expanding and splitting doesn't benefit you). permalink fedilink source parent
[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl -2 points 1 year ago Lol wut. Most honey today means killing all the bees every season and buying a new batch from the breeders the next season. They don't "take care" of the bees any more than a butcher "takes care" of their pigs permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Sunflier@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* It's not the honey that produces the nutrient. The nutrient comes from a plant and climate change is probably altering plant biology to make this nutrient harder to come by. Not to mention the supplemental feed given to bees late fall through early spring (a period where honey harvests have ceased) probably lacked that nutrient. So, not harvesting honey wouldn't be the answer. Honey bees have been apart of the agricultural process for thousands of years (honey was harvested as far back as ancient Egypt and was used in the mummification process). So, if we stopped honey harvesting, it would be detrimental to both bees and the agricultural system. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] apftwb@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago (1 child) Do you have any idea how hard it is to milk each and every bee. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 point 1 year ago I prefer to milk sugar canes. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 point 1 year ago I prefer to milk sugar canes. permalink fedilink source parent