Restoring The Landscape With Native Plants Tall Beard Tongue Insect Visitors

Article Written by noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) on Dec 07, 2012 03:16 pm

Tall Beard Tongue ~ Penstemon digitalis
Beard tongue flowers have a large, hairy staminode on the lower half of the tubular flower which restricts access to bees to the flower and helps in pollen deposition. Small to medium sized bees are the most frequent visitors.

Tall Beard Tongue flowers can be white to light pink, sometimes with darker pink to purple stripes which act as nectar guides for bees.

Small Carpenter Bees (Ceratina spp) visit Tall Beard Tongue flowers primarily to feed on pollen. Their small size allows them to easily climb over the staminode into the tubular flowers to access the pollen on the anthers.

As they feed on pollen, they often inadvertently contact the stigma. The hairs on the staminode keep their bodies held closer to the stigma, resulting in more contact and pollen transfer.

Digger Bees (Anthophora spp.) are frequent visitors to Tall Beard Tongue flowers as well. They are fast moving and visit flowers for a very short time frame compared to Small Carpenter Bees.

Their medium sized bodies and long tongues allow them access into the tubular flower which results in abundant pollen removal as their bodies scrape on the anthers above.

Bumble Bees (Bombus spp.) are not primary pollinators of Tall Beard Tongue. Visiting the flowers for nectar, they are able to reach the nectar reward with their long tongues without having to insert their body into the corolla and come away with pollen on their bodies.

Look for small holes chewed at the base of the flower. Mason Wasps will chew holes to reach the nectar reward without having to enter the flower. Smaller bees will take advantage of these nectar thievery holes.

The Interaction between Pollinator Size and the Bristle Staminode of Penstemon digitalis (Scrophulariaceae) Gregg Dieringer and Leticia Cabrera R. American Journal of Botany , Vol. 89, No. 6 (Jun., 2002), pp. 991-997


© Heather Holm, 2012.

Article From Restoringthelandscape Website

The Great Sunflower Project Article On The BUZZ: Join Us for the Great Bee Count on Saturday, August 11, 2012

The BUZZ: Join Us for the Great Bee Count on Saturday, August 11!

Greetings citizen scientists! Our poll results are in, and, at last count, some 46% of you have sunflowers up and blooming. About one-third (34%) are still waiting for blooms (or encountered an gardening mishap), and another 21% didn’t plant sunflowers this year.

Those of you lucky enough to have sunflowers in bloom are diligently sending in your bee observations. Congratulations to all those who have already had the opportunity to observe, collect and report their data. Well done! Without your thoughtful observations, we would not have the wealth of information that we have to date.

To see results from the project using data reported up to 2012, have a look here: http://www.greatsunflower.org/results#map - you can zoom in on your area, see averages by type of garden and trends by year. Great stuff, and all because of your participation!

It’s important that you keep sending in data, so please join us and thousands of others across the country in The Great Bee Count on Saturday, August 11th.

Even if you do not have blooms on your sunflowers by August 11th, you can still be enjoy, learn and be part of the project by observing bees on other plants that you may have in bloom. Cosmos, tickseed, bee balm and echinacea, are all on our list, so you can collect data on these if your sunflowers are not blooming yet. And, it’s okay if your sunflower hasn’t bloomed yet. They will in time so you can make your 15 minute observation when they do open up.

And, this year, in support of the Great Bee Count, YourGardenShow.com will present a special online live broadcast "Double Feature" on August 11th, from 10am - noon EST (7am to 9am PST). First hour: a special "Ask Ian" Q&A show about pollination and pollinators followed by an hour of moderated interviews with bee experts talking about our pollinator friends. Join us for this one day event!: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/ask-ian

As you can see from our map, bees are declining in certain areas, and there are some areas where we have no data. Could that be your garden? The more we know, the more action will be able to be taken to preserve and enhance pollinator habitat.

Join us on August 11th!

Freddy B

To Purchase Pollinator Seed Mix Click on Ion Exchange, Inc. Link Below

Ion Exchange, Inc. Pollinator Mix

Ion Exchange, Inc.

Corn Seed Pesticide Kills Bees

We have been following the Honeybee's mysterious malady for a number of years. The official name for this phenomenon is called Colony Collapse Disorder.  The problem seems to be worldwide.  We received this new information just today. Ion Exchange Inc.

Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 Corn Seed Pesticide Kills Bees

I understand that Germany has banned their use. I wish we would do the same.
________________________________________
From: Iowa Native Plants Mailing List [IOWA-NATIVE-PLANTS@LIST.UIOWA.EDU] on behalf of Thmathews@AOL.COM [Thmathews@AOL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 11:04 PM
To: IOWA-NATIVE-PLANTS@LIST.UIOWA.EDU
Subject: [IOWA-NATIVE-PLANTS] Fwd: Corn Seed Pesticide Kills Bees

In a message dated 1/5/2012 12:08:05 A.M. Central Standard Time, lhopwood@roadrunner.com writes:
To readers,
Sierra Club's Genetic Engineering Action Team has been following the connection between the honeybee demise and exposure to corn seeds coated with neonicotinoids.
Included here is info about the latest research.
Laurel Hopwood, Chair, Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team

CATCH THE BUZZ - Corn Seed Pesticide Kills Bees
Corn Seed Treatment As Lethal As It Gets For Honey Bees All Season Long, And Long After The Season Is Gone. It Just Keeps On Killing.
by Alan Harman
(EDITED)

Frightening new research shows honey bees are being exposed to deadly neonicotinoid insecticides and several other agricultural pesticides throughout their foraging period. The research, published in the scientific journal PLoS One says extremely high levels of clothianidin and thiamethoxam were found in planter exhaust material produced during the planting of treated maize seed. The work, which could raise new questions about the long-term survival of the honey bee, was conducted by Christian H. Krupke of the Department of Entomology at Purdue University, Brian D. Eitzer of the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Krispn Given of Purdue.

"Neonicotinoids were found in the soil of each field we sampled, including unplanted fields," they report. Dandelions visited by foraging bees growing near these fields were found to contain neonicotinoids as well. "This indicates deposition of neonicotinoids on the flowers, uptake by the root system, or both. Dead bees collected near hive entrances during the spring sampling period were found to contain clothianidin as well."

"These results have implications for a wide range of large-scale annual cropping systems that utilize neonicotinoid seed treatments," the report says. The research was funded by grants from the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and the Managed Pollinator Coordinated Agricultural Project.

Neonicotinoids are persistent. The new report says the half-lives of these compounds in aerobic soil conditions can vary widely, but are best measured in months - 148 - 1,155 days for clothianidin.

Among the largest single uses of these compounds is application to maize seed. Production of maize for food, feed and ethanol production represents the largest single use of arable land in North America, reaching a record
88,216,620 acres in 2010 and is expected to increase. All of the maize seed planted in North America except for 0.2% used in organic production is coated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

Two major compounds are used - clothianidin and thiamethoxam, with the latter metabolized to clothianidin in the insect. The application rates for these compounds range from 0.25 to 1.25 mg/kernel. These compounds are highly toxic to honey bees - a single kernel contains several orders of magnitude of active ingredient more than the published LD50 values for honey bees - defined as the amount of material that will kill 50% of exposed individuals.
In fact, the amount of clothianidin on a single maize seed at the rate of 0.5 mg/kernel contains enough active ingredient to kill more than 80,000 honey bees.

The results prompted researchers to carry out more experiments to determine how honey bees may be gaining exposure to clothianidin and other pesticides commonly applied to either maize seed or to plants later in the season. They collected samples from a variety of potential exposure routes near agricultural fields and analyzed them to determine whether pesticides were present. They sampled soils, pollen both collected by honey bees and directly from plants, dandelion flowers, and dead and healthy bees. They even checked waste products produced during the planting of treated seed. Maize seed is sewn with tractor-drawn planters that use a forced air/vacuum system and a perforated disc to pick up individual seeds and drop them into the planting furrow at the selected spacing. Maize kernels treated with neonicotinoids and other compounds such as fungicides do not flow readily and may stick to one another, causing uneven plant spacing. To overcome this, talc (a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate) is added to seed boxes to reduce friction and stickiness and ensure the smooth flow of seed. Much of the talc is exhausted during planting, either down with the seed or behind the planter and into the air using an exhaust fan. Researchers sampled the waste talc after planting to determine whether this material was contaminated with pesticides abraded from treated seeds. The waste is a mixture of the talc that has been in contact with treated maize kernels and minute pieces of the seeds.

"Soil collected from areas near our test site revealed that neonicotinoid insecticide residues were present in all samples tested, with clothianidin occurring in each field sampled ... These results demonstrate that honey bees living and foraging near agricultural fields are exposed to neonicotinoids and other pesticides through multiple mechanisms throughout the spring and summer ... We show that bees living in these environments will forage for maize pollen and transport pollen containing neonicotinoids to the hive."

The results also showed clothianidin present in the surface soil of fields long after treated seed has been planted. "All soil samples we collected contained clothianidin, even in cases where no treated seed had been planted for two growing seasons," the report says.

During the spring planting period, dust that arises from this soil may land on flowers frequented by bees, or possibly on the insects themselves. Of potentially greater concern are the very high levels of neonicotinoids and fungicides found in the talc that has been exposed to treated seed. "The large areas being planted with neonicotinoid treated seeds, combined with the high persistence of these materials and the mobility of disturbed soil and talc dust, carry potential for effects over an area that may exceed the boundaries of the production fields themselves."

Later in the season, when planting is largely complete, the researchers found bees collect maize pollen that contains translocated neonicotinoids and other pesticides from seed. Translocation of neonicotinoids into pollen has previously been reported for maize grown from imidacloprid-treated seed, but the researchers say the degree to which honey bees in their study gathered maize pollen was surprising. "The finding that bee-collected pollen contained neonicotinoids is of particular concern because of the risks to newly-emerged nurse bees, which must feed upon pollen reserves in the hive immediately following emergence," they say.

"Lethal levels of insecticides in pollen are an obvious concern, but sub-lethal levels are also worthy of study as even slight behavioral effects may impact how affected bees carry out important tasks such as brood rearing, orientation and communication." Also potentially important are the three fungicides found in bee-collected pollen samples - trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin and propiconazole. Azoxystrobin and trifloxystrobin are frequently used in maize seed treatments as protectants and all three are widely applied to maize in North America, even in the absence of disease symptoms. These findings have implications both for honey bees located near these crops year-round, but also for migratory colonies which pollinate crops such as almonds and other fruit and nut crops, the report says.

To read the study, click here:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029268
To read our actions on the honeybee demise, click these five sites:
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2009-11-10.asp
Want to eat? Save the honeybee!
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2009-11-09a.asp
Sierra Club comments on a "neonic" insecticide
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2008-07-30.asp
Sierra Club urges EPA to suspend nicotinyl insecticides
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2007-04-07.asp
USDA, Lobbyists and Bees
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2007-03-21.asp
GE and bee Colony Collapse Disorder -- science needed!

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Native Plant Society. This list is owned and managed by Diana Horton, and sponsored by
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For assistance, contact Diana Horton, diana-horton@uiowa.edu
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The Iowa Native Plants Mailing List provides a forum for those interested in Iowa's natural
vegetation and in general conservation issues. Another objective is to promote the Iowa
Native Plant Society. This list is owned and managed by Diana Horton, and sponsored by
the University of Iowa Department of Biology.

Why are Bats Dying?

Just as news of the massive bee die off is fading from the news (although not actually ending), news of mass bat deaths are just starting to hit the headlines. The loss of bats could be an environmental catastrophe, as they are the world's greatest insect eaters -- devouring up to half their weight in insects every day.The epicenter of the bat die-off is New York. Reports started with hikers noticing dead and dying bats littered outside the caves where they hibernate.The loss of bats is now at the point where researchers are expressing fear that an extinction is underway. The ultimate cause is unknown, although the condition has been named White Nose Syndrome, due to the presence of fungus growths on the bats’ noses and faces. The fungus is believed, however, to be only a symptom rather than the underlying problem.Theories for what is causing the bats to die include:
Virus and bacterial infections
Pesticides, either due to the toxins themselves or because they’ve killed off bats’ major food source, mosquitoes and other insectsBat die-off could have a major impact on humanity, including outbreaks of mosquitoes (and their related diseases like West Nile Fever, malaria, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis) and destruction of crops (which could be overtaken by crop-destructive insects).
Sources:
Natural News April 11, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Something is terribly wrong here.Three of the world’s greatest pollinators -- the creatures that are actually responsible for spreading pollen so plants can grow -- are slowly disappearing right before your eyes. First it was the bees. Then the birds. Now the bats. What’s next?The current bat die-off is already being called the most serious threat to North American bats since the beginning of recorded history. In New York, up to 90 percent of the bats hibernating in four caves and mines have died since last winter, and more bats are thought to have died at 15 other New York sites, and also in Massachusetts and Vermont.Biologists believe that up to half a million bats could ultimately be lost, which would have a major impact on the upcoming growing season.Bats are Necessary for Crops to ThriveThe common image of bats acting as pests, flying in your hair or trying to suck your blood are, of course, just myths. One of the biggest fears many have about bats -- rabies -- is also completely unfounded, as bat rabies cause just one human death per year in the United States, according to Bat Conservation International. In reality, bats are a great friend to the environment, helping to pollinate wild plants, disperse fruit seeds, and keep insect populations under control.Bats are also used strategically by organic farmers as a natural means for pest control, as one small bat can eat up to 2,000 mosquitoes in one night. So you can imagine how mosquitoes and other bugs will multiply without bats to keep them in check.Other Pollinators are Also DisappearingAs I said earlier, the problem of disappearing bats is magnified because other North American pollinators, namely birds and bees, are also on the decline.According to a report by the National Audubon Society, for instance, the numbers of some species of birds have plummeted by 60 percent to 80 percent. And as of April 2007, 25 percent of all bee colonies in 27 U.S. states had died. The growing absence of these necessary creatures is signaling a silent alarm bell about the state of our ecosystem. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture is calling it an “impending pollination crisis.”Something is throwing things off balance, and, little by little, nature is dying. Eventually, it will no longer be a gradual occurrence, but rather like when you put a stick into a turning bicycle wheel, everything will abruptly come to a halt, and likely fall.What’s Killing Off the Bees, Birds and Bats?Nobody knows for sure. And my guess is that it is not one thing but rather an accumulation of things such as:
Pesticides and other environmental toxins
Cell phones and information-carrying radio waves
Genetically modified crops In the case of bats, new pesticides that are designed specifically to fight West Nile Virus are also likely culprits. These pesticides kill mosquitoes, and bats need mosquitoes to survive. As a telling sign, bats that have been found dead appeared to have died from starvation, as their fat stores were largely depleted.There is also a sign that something is altering their behavior, as bats have been found flying during the winter and during the day, while they should have been hibernating.Can Life Go on Without the Birds and the Bees (and the Bats)?Not for long, no. One-third of the U.S. food supply is dependent on the pollination from bees alone, and without bats or birds, the food supply as you know it would be long gone.Is there anything you can do?Well, on a local level, yes. I would suggest contacting your town’s city officials to protest spraying the area with pesticides to combat West Nile Virus. Next, if you have a backyard, consider putting up a couple of bat houses, a bird feeder, and a bird bath, then planting some flowers that attract bees, such as:
Basil, rosemary, sage and thyme
Lavender
Geraniums
Sunflowers
Verbena
Zinnias
Bee balm
Cosmos

These are small steps, but no contribution is too small when it comes to our one and only environment.

Why Flowers Have Lost Their Scent

Pollution is stifling the fragrance of plants and preventing bees from pollinating them – endangering one of the most essential cycles of nature, writes Environment Editor Geoffrey Lean
Researchers say that pollution is dramatically cutting the distance travelled by the scent of flowers
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Pollution is dulling the scent of flowers and impeding some of the most basic processes of nature, disrupting insect life and imperilling food supplies, a new study suggests.
The potentially hugely significant research – funded by the blue-chip US National Science Foundation – has found that gases mainly formed from the emissions of car exhausts prevent flowers from attracting bees and other insects in order to pollinate them. And the scientists who have conducted the study fear that insects' ability to repel enemies and attract mates may also be impeded.
The researchers – at the University of Virginia – say that pollution is dramatically cutting the distance travelled by the scent of flowers. Professor Jose Fuentes, who led the study, said: "Scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 metres. But today they may travel only 200 to 300 metres. This makes it increasingly difficult for bees and other insects to locate the flowers."
The researchers – who worked on the scent given off by snapdragons – found that the molecules are volatile, and quickly bond with pollutants such as ozone and nitrate radicals, mainly formed from vehicle emissions. This chemically alters the molecules so that they no longer smell like flowers. A vicious cycle is therefore set up where insects struggle to get enough food and the plants do not get pollinated enough to proliferate.
Already bees – which pollinate most of the world's crops – are in unprecedented decline in Britain and across much of the globe. At least a quarter of America's 2.5 million honey bee colonies have been mysteriously wiped out by colony collapse disorder (CCD), where hives are found suddenly deserted.
The crisis has now spread to Europe. Politicians insist that CCD has not yet been found in Britain, but the insects have been declining here too, and the agriculture minister Lord Rooker has warned that "the honey bee population could be wiped out in 10 years".
The researchers do not believe that they have found the cause of CCD, but say that pollution is making life more difficult for bees and other insects in many ways."

Join In The Great Bee Hunt.

Ion Exchange has been following the stories about the plight of the honeybees for over a year now. We came across this great site that is actually letting all of us take part and do something in our own back yard that will further the research to better understand the bees and their habits. This site is http://www.greatsunflower.org/. When you sign up they will send you a packet of sunflowers to plant in your own yard ( a species that is for your zone) and all the information you need to keep records on the bees that come to your sunflowers. This is a wonderful opportunity to get the whole family involved in a nature project and help to raise awareness of the natural world and how we can be a part of that natural world.

A Cure For Bee Stings?

Hey, I recently received an email from Donna with a neat article on bee stings. I thought I would pass it on to you guys. If you are working outside a lot on your wildflowers and garden projects in the summer you might need to know this interesting information.
I am not sure where the article came from, anyway here goes.
The article starts "A couple of weeks ago, I had the misfortune to be stung by both a be and a hornet while working in the garden. My arm swelled , so off to the clinic I went. They gave me a cream and an antihistamine. The next the swelling got progressively worse, so I headed to my regular doctor. Infected arm - needed an antibiotic.
What was interesting is what the doctor told me. "The next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for 15 minutes." I thought, wow, next time (if there is one) I will try it.
Well that night, my neighbor Shelley's niece was stung by two bees. I saw her arm was swollen so I went in the house to get my money. Taped a penny to her arm for 15 minutes.
The next morning there was no sign of the stings. Were we surprised! Her niece, we decided, just wasn't allergic to bee stings. Well guess what happened again a few days later? I was helping Shelley deadhead her flowers and - you're right - a hornet stung my left hand twice. I thought, here I go again, back to the doctor for yet more antibiotics.
Well, I promptly taped tow pennies to my stings, then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The coins took away the pain immediately, I stilt wasn't sure what would happen. In the meantime, the hornet stung Shelley on the thumb. Again a penny.
The next morning, I could see only a spot where the hornet had stung me. No redness, no swelling. I went over to see Shelley and hers was the same. Then Shelley got stung while cutting grass. Applying the penny worked again.
I just wanted to share this marvelous information in case you experience the same problem. The doctor said the copper in the penny somehow counteracts the bite. I would never have believed it but it definitely worked for us. We need to keep a stock of pennies on hand at school and at home. Remember this little bit of wisdom and tell your friends and family."
I think I will try this remedy for sure if I ever get stung by a bee again. I might even try it for any spider or bug bite. Who knows it might work on them too! This Kay at Ion Exchange saying
save those pennies, you never know when you might need them! Have a great day!