Toronto approves Pollinator Protection Plan
Toronto approves Pollinator Protection Strategy
Here’s a recent conversation with Annemarie Baynton, senior environmental planner in the Environment and Energy Division of the City of Toronto. She has been the city’s point-person for facilitating the creation of Toronto’s Pollinator Protection Strategy, which was unanimously approved by the city council in April. The strategy is much, much more than simply declaring Toronto a “bee friendly” city. Continue reading >
Just a quick note to say thank you for being a reader of the Bee Report, and a sincere apology for not sending out a newsletter in May. It was time to update the design, flow and feel of TBR. But what started off as small tweaks quickly evolved into big projects and learning experiences. The results, however, look and feel great! I hope you enjoy the shiny, new Bee Report 2.0. ~ Matt
IN THE FIELD is a new section of the Bee Report made up of periodic reports from out in the field. This first report comes from the backyard, where there's a greater diversity of bees than you might imagine. (So don't cut down that tree!)
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“Why do bees not appear to compete aggressively over territory when gathering pollen – either among themselves or with, say, butterflies?”
From experts in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., here's your answer...
BEE #HEALTH
There's was some interesting research that came out over the past couple months about the nutritional needs of bees and bacteria that can be beneficial to them:
* Researchers have isolated three previously unknown bacterial species from wild bees and flowers that may play a role in preserving the nectar and pollen that female bees store in their nests as food for their larvae.
* Human changes to the landscape, such as large areas of monoculture grassland for livestock grazing, and coniferous forests for timber production, is affecting the diversity of the ‘microbiome’ associated with honey bees’ long-term food supply.
* Adding probiotics to bees’ food helps make them more resistant to nosemosis, a fungal infection associated with colony collapse disorder.
* Honey bees will forage from different flowers and drink mineral rich ‘dirty water’ to meet their nutritional needs based on the season, particularly as winter approaches.