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Ristray t1_j9unkjj wrote

Reply to comment by Proof-Variation7005 in Can we get Providence City Council to implement this? Thoughts? by 4k5

I'm curious about the whole cleaning aspect though. Would the bees not clean the holes themselves? Do bees generally create their own holes in something that self-cleans or prevents mites from taking hold? Why are these holes so much different than what the bees make?

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asianabsinthe t1_j9uu9ah wrote

I provide wooden homes for solitary bees. I use layered stacked wood with holes, and after they hatch I clean them out. There's a ton of debris, including some mites and dead bees. It's faster and more sanitary to do it for them and it helps keep them in my yard.

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_j9uxjkl wrote

>Why are these holes so much different than what the bees make?

My layman's understanding is that bees make holes for their colonies with thousands of other bees and these things are for the dumb stragglers who are too stupid to find their way home before the temperature drops.

As someone with a pretty gnarly allergy, emotional scarring from seeing "My Girl" in theatres, I think we should just be focused on a way to pollenate plants without bees. Plan for the eventuality of colony collapse and have a backup option. Plus, once we've perfected something, we can let people like me destroy all of the bees, as they are no long serve any ecological purpose and exist only to harass and harm.

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HotConcrete t1_j9viumi wrote

I understand that you’re a layman. So am I. There were some broad generalities you’re missing though. Most bee species in the US don’t form large colonies and solitary bees are fairly common. You’d likely overlooked them thinking that they’re flies or other similar insects. They don’t sting, they don’t bite, they cause no problems. They are entirely different from honeybees that form large colonies and aren’t even native to the US.

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_j9vjhgu wrote

They're too bee-adjacent for me. All of the Apoidea gotta go, even the ones with no friends.

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