RE: Amsterdam's Answer to Declining Bee Populations
Very nice article professorbromide.
I think thou it is not a mere coincident that the landscape is treated that way. I think it has more to do with our collective primordial fear. We trim down the bushes and cut down the grass regularly because we are concerned about all the critters and insect that would take hold in there otherwise.
I know some of the manliest men that you would ever meet yet a small bee goes near them and they run around flapping their hands in the air like being chased by an army of undead.
I am not saying that you shouldn't be cautious but there are those prevailing myths still in our societies that these creatures are trying to get you.
From my own experience 99.9% of the time it is a simple misunderstanding. They get drawn to us because of our bright colored clothing, fabric softeners imitating flowery scents. If you not behaving like a neurotic maniac waving your hands like crazy they peacefully move on once they have realized you are nothing of interest to them.
I like your solution though it would be very easy to adopt on a mass scale. Unfortunately, the attitudes and the law would have to change and that is quite a battle. I am not sure did I heard that one right but in some countries in Europe you can get a fine for not mowing your loan.
Keep up the good work. You have earned a subscriber. :)
Good point. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Home owners should feel free to maintain a neat lawn around their houses. I do.
Farmers need to plant large fields of corn and maintain hay fields. Their livelihoods depend on it.
That still leaves huge areas that can be maintained as open space while also providing better wildlife habitat.
Wildflower meadows can be maintained in a way that still looks very neat and tidy for places where appearance matters. One option is to keep a strip of lawn around the perimeter of the field trimmed short but let the rest grow flowers all summer. It looks very nice that way.
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