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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REPRINT ARTICLE ARCHIVES => Topic started by: Understudy on January 18, 2007, 08:25:31 am

Title: Bumblebees in Taz may or may not spread weeds
Post by: Understudy on January 18, 2007, 08:25:31 am
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1829006.htm (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1829006.htm)

Bumblebees in Taz have a researcher concerned about the spread of invasive weeds.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: Bumblebees in Taz may or may not spread weeds
Post by: Cindi on January 18, 2007, 10:40:22 am
Well, that is interesting.

I do know for a very fact that since I have been keeping bees (2 years now), that I have seen the big clovers around here hundreds of times more prevalant than they were prior to the beekeeping.  Not a doubt in my mind the bees (be them honeybees or bombus) are bringing this seed in from other areas and dropping it here and there.  WHERE I DON'T WANT IT!!!

This clover has actually almost become invasive.  I do not want it in my garlic and strawberry patches and spent many many hours last summer removing these huge flowered clover plants from the specific place where my garlics (two species) and strawberries grows.  The roots on this clover plant are beyond your wildest imagination. 

Honestly there is so much room here, why does this clover have to pick my garlic patch to do its thing.  Couldn't it be a little bit more selective?  LOL.  Great day.  Cindi
Title: Re: Bumblebees in Taz may or may not spread weeds
Post by: Jerrymac on January 18, 2007, 11:46:29 am
It wouldn't be the bees bringing and dropping seeds. That would be the birds and other animalsand Wind.
Title: Re: Bumblebees in Taz may or may not spread weeds
Post by: Cindi on January 18, 2007, 11:05:16 pm
Jerrymac.  Of course.  You are bang on with that.  I thought that maybe the seeds from the clover were adhering to the legs of the bees coming to get nectar.

That actually was kind of a stupid statement on my part, in retrospect.  If the bees were visiting the clover, there would not be any clover seed present on the plant, only nectar and pollen!!  LOL.  Sometimes I think that we say stuff long before we think about it.  Great day.  Cindi