Editor's Note: This story is a supplement to the feature "Solving the Mystery of the Vanishing Bees."
Overview
Overview
Without honeybees, many foods included in the breakfast at the left would become too rare for most people to afford. Shortages would affect an array of fruits, as well as jams and jellies, almonds and even milk, because dairies use alfalfa (which needs pollinators) as a protein-rich feed for dairy cows.
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5 Comments
Add CommentI say this whole article, including the Breakfast without Bees article, should come to the attention of our new President Obama. This is something that affects all of us. The very rich can afford to look the other way - while most of us cannot afford that luxury.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy does the coffee not have any milk in it? Cows don't need to be pollinated.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisyeah but cows need alfalfa or hay to feed them- without being fed, cows don't eat or produce milk
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCoffee also need bee pollination, but perhaps tea does not need.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBreakfast without Honey Bees.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis post does contain multiple errors Can you guess what solitary bees and stingless bees are being left out of this equation? Think alfalfa (not something normally pollinated by honey bees at all rather alkali bees and alfalfa leaf cutter bees which are both solitary/gregarious bees managed for such purpose. Coffee is bee pollinated and has better fruit set with diverse bee species (solitary and stingless) visiting it. I wonder what the wood table is made from, a tree with flowers that need pollinators (possibly). Could there be multiple paid proof-readers for pollination pieces please? (rhetorical question) Basically people insert the words honey bee in place of "bee" all the time making many inaccurate statements and misleading people. Native bees are more threatened than honey bees. The proper way to write "honey bee" is not "honeybee". One should combine words as in "dragonfly" when it is not really a fly (it is an Odonatan) - if it was a fly (Dipteran) then only "dragon fly" would be appropriate.