1 Tahrcountry Musings: UK scientists’ call to put plants in the garden that are of beneficial to bees

Monday, July 28, 2008

UK scientists’ call to put plants in the garden that are of beneficial to bees

Weird things are happening to the bumblebees of UK. Scientists have apprehensions that a lack of suitable flowers may be forcing bumblebees to seek out aphids in search of their sugary secretions. The secretions offer a substitute for nectar, but do not contain the protein the insects need. The assumption is that that there are fewer of the right sorts of flowers in gardens and countryside. As bees are important pollinators of flowers and crops the scientists have urged the people to put more plants in the garden that are beneficial to bees. According to the scientists flowers from the pea and mint families seem to be particularly beneficial. The relationship between ants and aphids is well known. Ants protect the aphids from other predators such as ladybirds and in return they take the honey secreted by the aphids. The fine balance of nature seems to have been put in disarray by humanity.

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