UK will support ban on pesticides that harm bees

This reverses an earlier decision by the UK government, because new evidence has appeared that shows neonicitinoids have contaminated the whole landscape.  75% of all flying insects have disappeared from Germany.

Read more at The Guardian.

For more information on neonics click here.

Historical pesticide overview

Here's a good series of PDFs about the history of pesticides from Scientific Beekeeping. The first one I opened is a series of images, i.e. scanned pages. It would be difficult to get the text from it.

It's an article from Barbara J. Erickson and Eric H. Erickson Jr.  It's in the American Bee Journal from November 1983. At the end of the article there is a list of studies they quoted.

Identifying bees vs wasps

Some people confuse bees with wasps, and call them all wasps just because of their colors. But there are differences in their appearance. Bees are generally non-aggressive, unless you are hurting them or their nest. Yellow jackets and bald-faced hornets are probably the most aggressive of the bees and wasps in the US. They will attack even if you get near their nest. And if you run a lawn mower over their underground nest, you are in trouble. I admit I screamed like a girl after getting stung 3 times.

This is a chart showing some members of the wasp and bee family. Notice the wasps usually have a very thin piece connecting the thorax with the abdomen. Wasps in the US also don't have many hairs, or they are hard to see. Bees tend to be more fuzzy.

Below is a honey bee. Notice somewhat furry body, with golden, not quite yellow, stripes on abdomen. Also look for the pollen baskets on its legs.

Below is a bumble bee. Bumble bees are larger, generally fly slow and meandering, and have a fuzzy body with black abdomen and yellow thorax.

Wasps

Below: unknown wasp, possibly a hornet.

Below: Bald faced hornets. These are very aggressive and you will likely get attacked if you get too close to their nest. "Bald" is Old English for "white", because when a person went bald, you could see their white skin on their head. This is also where we get "bald eagle". It just means "white headed eagle".

Below: Blue mud wasp. You will often see these near muddy areas where they use mud to build their nests. Not aggressive but fun to watch as they flit about, flapping their wings on the ground in bursts of movement. These often have a slight bluish tint, like the Steel Blue Cricket Killer wasp.

Below: Yellow jackets are a type of wasp. These are very aggressive and will sting you if you stumble on their nest. They can nest in trees, under house eaves, and even underground. They make paper nests, but these are not what we term "paper wasps" per se.

Steel Blue Cricket Killer/Hunter. Not the same as a blue mud dauber wasp. Not aggressive. Fun to watch as they are a bit spastic when they are hunting on the ground.

Below: Blue mud wasp. Notice longer connection between thorax and abdomen.

Ichneumon wasps come on a HUGE variety of sizes. Including ovipositor, they go from .25 inches to 6 inches (Megarhyssa). They do not have stingers. What's the point with the ovipositor in the way? Not aggressive, and helpful. If you see a wasp with a noticeable pointy thing at its hind end, it's an ovipositor, not a stinger. 

An ichneumon Megarhyssa trying to lay eggs in dead bark. Length of body: 3", length of ovipositor: 3". When flying they are loud like a model airplane with a plastic propeller, but they are not aggressive, they are pretty calm. They also come in a chocolate brown with yellow stripes.

Below: Another ichneumon wasp. This is the general shape of the really tiny ones which might get trapped next to your window trying to get out. Not aggressive. They can also have very short antennae.

Not neither

Below is a clearwing moth, which is neither a bee or wasp. These often move about in a darting motion like a hummingbird, and they also feed on nectar.

Another type of clearwing moth. Notice how it tries to mimic the aggressive yellow jacket wasp.

Below is a syrphid fly. Notice the wings at rest are at about 45 degrees angle, like house flies. Also notice how the eyes are large enough they almost touch, also like house flies. I also called these "hover flies" because they like to hover, and then dart.

Bee fly. A fuzzy little ball of happiness, but not a bee or wasp. Noticed bicolor wings. The snout makes me think it eats nectar.

Links

www.bugguide.net.
www.whatsthatbug.com.

Pollinators being killed by pesticides

Carpenter bee, notice flat abdomen.

IBPES has released a report (http://www.ipbes.net/article/press-release-pollinators-vital-our-food-supply-under-threat) that shows how pollinators are being killed off by over 57 agricultural chemicals. 75% of the world's food relies, at least in part, on pollinators including moths, wasps, butterflies, bats, beetles, and birds.

US$235 billion and US$577 billion worth of annual global food production relies on  pollinators.  

The bee Colony Collapse Disorder is believed to be from a deadly cocktail of pesticides that eventually overwhelms the bees' systems and kills them, often in a very short time. Neonicotinoids are especially harmful to invertebrates like bees.

Blue orchard bee

But neonics are not the only culprit. The theory is various chemicals act in concert, making the bees susceptible to illness and Varroa mites.

Scientists cannot agree on a single factor which causes CCD. Scientists thinking one dimensionally is major problem in many areas of science. The world is not that simple anymore where one factor explains everything. The world is a complex mix of factors, each factor affecting an individual differently. This is no longer the 1800s where the scientists just have to identify one bacteria which causes an illness, then develop one medicine to kill that bacterium.

Other factors adding to the likelihood of CCD are: Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, a fungus called Nosema, a common anti-fungal used to treat Nosema, fumagillin. From Wikipedia:

In 2013, researchers collected pollen from hives and fed it to healthy bees. The pollen had an average of nine different pesticides and fungicides. Further, the researchers discovered that bees that ate pollen with fungicides were three times more likely to be infected by parasites. Their study shows that fungicides, thought harmless to bees, may actually play a significant role in CCD.

This is an example of sub-lethal effects. The fungicides do not kill the bees, they likely weaken the bees, which leads to an increased rate of sickness among the colony.

Some people are also concerned that selective breeding of bees for rent (to pollinate crops) has lead to less diversity, and less flexibility in the bee population. It's sort of like monocropping: it's possible you can get one pathogen that can affect the majority of bees.

How can I encourage bees? 

1. Plant flowers that attract bees.
2. Do not use pesticides in your garden. Look for organic solutions instead. 
3. Make bee houses. 

Links to DIY bee houses

1. Bee house from NWF.They say place on the (sunny) south side of the house. I hope larva are not

   

   Leaf cutter bee. Notice funky elongated eyes, fuzzy abdomen.

   inside the house in the peak of summer temperatures!
2. Living Green and Frugally bee house. More ideas for a mason bee house. 
3. Mason bee house in an old log, just drill various sized holes. 
4. Leaf cutter bee house. Leaf cutter bees are lively, curious, and cut leaves to line their individual nests. Leaf cutters are not dangerous but they will zip around your head once or twice to check you out. Do not mistake curiosity for aggressiveness.

Notes about bee houses

1. Do not use cedar. It is repellent and toxic to many insect species. 
2. Use a hardwood like oak, maple, hickory. Do not use pine. Pine can repel some species of insects and it doesn't last long in the open weather. 
3. Check to make sure the holes are for the size of bee you want to attract. 
4. Use plastics at your own risk. They can still leach poisonous phthalates.  
5. Don't use MDF or chip board, it will dissolve in the rain. 
6. Angle the holes downward a bit so water will drain out. 
7. Site the bee house away from people and traffic. Give them some privacy. High traffic areas may not attract as many bees.

Links

Wikipedia Colony Collapse Disorder.