High percentage of bees died – pollination of flowers with the bumblebee

A lot of bees died because of the unusual hard winter. This very high percentage of dieing bees caused a lot of problems to those who are depending on the bees to pollinate fruits or vegetables.

(source: dpa) for a lot of beemasters this spring is beginning with a lot of losses. "Today I had to put away my death bee populations" writes one bee-friend from the south of germany in the internet, at the end of his article there is standing "with sad greetings".

Nearly the same happens to almost every beekeeper in germany these days. Every fifth bee didn't make it through this hard winter. This is a result of a survey of a german center for beekeeping and bees in Mayen Rhineland Palatinate. 1,500 apiculturists where asked. This meens that 100% more of the bees died this winter then usual. " We even expected that  even more bees had died" said the boss of the center Christoph Otten.

Already in the late summer of last year 2009 a lot of beekeepers were worried. A lot of there bees were noticeable week. " At that point a lot of bees where infected by the varroa mite which is causing  a lot of problems to the bees in europe for years now." said the manager  of bee lore Peter Rosenkranz at the university  of Hohenheim. This mites are liveng as parasites in the beeyard, are weekening the insects and are delivering deseases.Without a therapy a lot of bee populations are sure to die.

"The bees had also to fight with the climate. 2009 was a bad year for the bee with a late spring, a wet and cold summer and a very long winter." so Rosenkranz. Very bad were the conditions in the south of germany like for example in the black forest. That's the reason why Rosenkranz thinks that up to 30% of the bees might have died in Baden-Wuerttemberg. This losses don't only harm the beekeepers but also the farming very much. Because after pig and cow it is the bee that is the tird most important animal for profuction in germany. 80% of th efarming is depending on the bee to pollinate the economic plants. The german depertment for agriculture estimates the economic benefite of the bees around 2 billion euros a year.

As an alternative for greenhouse cultures especially for tomatoes, pepper and so on the HMA is offering earth bumble bees bombus terestri.   It is new to have these insects on field grown fruitfarms. The bumble-bees are send and transported to the gardener in robust cardboard boxes. Delivered will be a bumble bee yard with 80 bumble bees together with her queen. This population of bumble bees would cover a field of 2,000 square meter.  These bumble bees are pieceful. They should be given food if they have to work in fields like for example tomatoes because they won't find food (nectar) there for living.

Please klick here to buy the bumblebees.

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