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Tue 17 May, 2016 01:33 am
The alarming decline in the bees colonies is a growing concern. Bees are natural pollinators and if they disappear how will our crops be pollinated? Industrial agriculture, excessive use of pesticides and climate change are the primary causes. It's not a good sign. Are we going too far in our quest for development and harming the ecosystem?
@ShailjaKaushik,
Urban beekeeping is becoming more of a thing here in Toronto every year.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/02/26/toronto-could-become-first-canadian-bee-city.html
the older brother of a friend of mine was involved in the implementation of this project
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-fairmont-royal-york-home-to-new-bee-hotel-1.2664039
Quote:There's no doorman, but Toronto's iconic Fairmont Royal York Hotel is hoping a new structure will attract thousands of wild bees to its rooftop.
The "bee hotel" as the Fairmont is calling it, is a light green, freestanding wooden structure that looks like a large bookcase. On its shelves are bunches of sticks, soil and other materials that wild, pollinator bees — which normally live alone — can seek shelter in.
The bee hotel complements the hotel's already buzzing honeybee apiary, which has been in operation since 2008 and includes six hives. The hotel said the hives produce around 360 kilograms of honey each year, most of which gets used in the hotel's restaurant.
The wild bees that will live in the structure don't produce honey, but are still crucial for plant life across the city because they're better pollinators than their honeybee cousins. Unfortunately, experts across Canada are warning the pollinators are in decline.
an interesting nearby bee project. I went to a lecture by one of the involved researchers.
http://m.guelphmercury.com/opinion-story/6166745-university-of-guelph-bees-are-calm-but-generate-buzz
a 3 minute video about the gentle bee project is at this page
http://www.ourstoriesinnisfil.ca/islandora/object/islandora%3A3964
beekeepers blog from the Opera House
Quote:Fred Davis, beekeeper to the hundreds of thousands of bees who live on our roof, entered this season’s harvest into the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair amber honey competition this year. The honey took first prize, with a score of 96 points out of a possible 100!
http://www.coc.ca/ExploreAndLearn/NewToOpera/OnlineLearningCentre/ParlandoTheCOCBlog.aspx?EntryID=58768
same story
slightly different link
http://www.coc.ca/ExploreAndLearn/NewToOpera/OnlineLearningCentre/ParlandoTheCOCBlog.aspx?Category=FSCPA+Honeybees