[NetBehaviour] Fwd: Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature'

[Mez Breeze]

On Mon, Feb 11, 2019 at 8:02 PM Helen Varley Jamieson <
helen at creative-catalyst.com> wrote:

> that is very inspiring, mez!
>

Thank you Helen! :)

when i'm living in new zealand i have a small inner city garden which with
> a little work is very productive & a nice place for many insects & birds,
>

Excellent.

but in germany i'm limited to the balcony. i've had an "insect hotel" on it
> for a couple of years but no insects have shown any interest in it yet.
>

...where is the insect hotel placed? Sometimes too much or little sun can
effect them depending on season?

we do get bees,
>

Yay!

> mostly bumble bees, & various other insects but really not very many at
> all. i grow many herbs including those you mention, flowers & some vegies,
> but if you have any good tips for helping insect life on a balcony, please
> tell!
>
You could go for an actual home-made bee attractant like is shown here
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl0o2aytaFE>, though I've never tried it.
I'd also be careful where you source your plants/seeds too - heritage and
local varieties suited [native] to your region/season could help, and make
sure to always go true organic [as opposed to greenwashed
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing> organic] that haven't been
artificially boosted with all types of chemical crud. And never use
pesticides/herbicides - use companion planting methods
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_planting> + seaweed/kelp solution
as tonic + good compost [do you have an in-home composting setup
<https://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/i-just-started-composting-my-apartment-and-you-can-too.html>
for your apartment? Homemade is the best, and it stops vegie/fruit scraps
going to landfill.]

And it does sound like you're doing all the right things - I'd suggest
keeping up planting anything with a blue/purple flowers:

*"According to Bee Culture <http://www.beeculture.com/bees-see-matters/>,
the most likely colors to attract bees are purple, violet and blue.*

*A study of nine bumblebee colonies in Germany found that those who favored
purple blooms were greatly rewarded for their preference.*

*“In the area we studied, violet flowers produced the most nectar – far
more than the next most rewarding flower color (blue),” Dr. Nigel Raine
from Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences told
ScienceDaily
<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070624141133.htm>.
“Inexperienced bees are known to have strong color preferences, so we
investigated whether the bumblebee colonies with a stronger preference for
violet flowers foraged more successfully in their local flora.”*

*Raine found that the bumblebees developed their favorite color over time,
corresponding with the most nectar-rich flowers."* [From:
https://www.totallandscapecare.com/landscaping-blog/bee-vision-and-the-color-purple/
]

> a great resource - new zealand specific but with a lot that's relevant to
> elsewhere - is the nz organic magazine, https://organicnz.org.nz/. i'm
> biased because my sister is the editor, but really it's a fantastic
> magazine & is not only about organics but also about soil & wider
> environmental issues from industiral farming to helpful information for
> home gardeners wanting to be more organic & insect friendly. you can
> subscribe to a digital issue or get the hardcopy delivered anywhere in the
> world.
>

Fantastic, and thx for the heads up about it.

> it's a dire situation but all of these small things we do ourselves do
> make a difference!
>

They absolutely do. Even things like having a in-house/apartment composter,
or even keeping insect-friendly plants, even one plant will help! I'm a
massive fan of the idea that everyone can do *something* to
help/contribute, even tiny contributions is better than none as you say. It
all adds up.

Warmly,
Mez



-- 
| mezbreezedesign.com
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