Straining your eyes? You can listen to this automated AI version of the article here:
Read how can trees help bees. Life as a bee is becoming increasingly difficult. Since the initial detection of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in 2006, honey bee keepers have been losing roughly 30% of their hives annually.
Although CCD is not fully understood, it appears to have several contributing factors. These include but are not limited to pesticides, parasitic mites, and increased viral levels.
However, help is at hand how can trees help bees.
It turns out that certain fungus that grows on trees is abe to improve hive health. This Blog post will discuss some of the work of Paul Stamets. Paul is a fungi expert and who along with other scientists has developed solution to the problem of declining bee numbers.
Why should you care if bees are under threat?
If not for the the fact that bee decline is likely as a result of human activity, for more selfish reasons; 1 out of 3 bites of food you eat is thanks to pollination by honey bees. Pollination is not only important for human food but also for a large percentage of the food eaten by the other inhabitants of the world.
So where do the trees come into it?
Trees are the host to a certain type of fungi called Fomes fomentarius also known as the horse hoof fungi or tinder fungus. In 2015, experiments began where honey bees drank different mushroom extracts containing this fungus.
Research is indicating that these extracts provide essential nutrition that benefits bees’ immune systems. This nutritional support goes on to improve hive health.
Unfortunately, due to modern farming and forestry practices that reduce biodiversity bees have lost access to many sources of nutrition. Stamets and his colleagues believe that fungi extracts may prove to be a powerful support for bees as they endure more challenging conditions in our ecosystem.
Through his company, Fungi Perfecti, Stamets has donated large amounts of research time and money into developing practical methods to benefit bees (and the wider ecosystem) from the results of his work. Through this process they have created the BeeMushroomed Feeder™.
This device replicates what a fungus would have provided in the forest environment. It is a feeding station for bees that can be hung anywhere and will deliver the mushroom extracts that they need to be healthy.
More information about this topic can be found at the following link along with a video explain the BeeMushroomed Feeder.
Read our latest Blog posts all about Tree Care!
Make sure to check out all our “How To Provide Tree Maintenance Series” instructional guides.
These arborist guides are aimed for tree owners who are keen to get their hands dirty.
- How to plant a tree guide with plenty of helpful advice…
- How to prune a tree and how you can manage the condition of your trees…
- Best time of year to prune large trees is now…
- How to mulch a tree and take care of your trees…
- How to care for your trees in the summer heat…
- How to trim a hedge the right way for the best results…
- How to stop tree leaves falling on your property…
- How to carry out smart tree attachments the right way…
- How to understand Arboricultural terminology…
- How to work on protected trees in Auckland explained by expert Arborists…
- Where to plant trees? The right tree in the right place is the key…
- How to grow and prune an Avocado tree…
- When to prune fruit trees by our expert arborists…
- How to manage old trees in the urban environment…
- How to care for your trees in Spring…
- How to check your trees following a storm and what you should do…
- How can trees help bees and why to use the BeeMushroomed Feeder…
Join us on Facebook and we’d love you to recommend our services on Google and Facebook.
Rossy and the Team.
Rossy | 09 3001422
