bees ok for ghosts?

[happy1892]

I am not sure a few would make much of a difference. But feeding mantids honeybees often is going to be more than a few. Do a little research on colony collapse disease and honeybees and then decide for yourself. Honeybees are important to us humans and our crops. They are having problems currently. So why take an insect that is having enough problems already and killing them selfishly? We have been raising mantids on flies and other insects that are commercially available for many years, you don't have to use beneficial insects as feeders. Not sure how I can make it any more clear.

But humans breed honeybees. He has only a few mantids. I will read. I am getting mixed up because there is too much! I did not know it was this serious. :blush: There are many bees around here that I believe are honey bees.

 

[frogparty]

actually, your native bees like mason bees and carpenter bees do more pollinating of native vegetation than youd think, they are actually more efficient pollinators of many things, they just have a much smaller home range (100yards or so)

 

[happy1892]

Oh, my it is a big problem. I cannot find what percentage have been lost from what time. Rick will you tell me please?

actually, your native bees like mason bees and carpenter bees do more pollinating of native vegetation than youd think, they are actually more efficient pollinators of many things, they just have a much smaller home range (100yards or so)

Oh, that is good. But still mostly honeybees do it right?

 

[frogparty]

you just notice them more. Honeybees are notorious for pollinating just one sex of flower, and as such are actually ineffective at pollinating species of angiosperm with dual sex flowers

 

[Rick]

actually, your native bees like mason bees and carpenter bees do more pollinating of native vegetation than youd think, they are actually more efficient pollinators of many things, they just have a much smaller home range (100yards or so)

True.

Not all honeybees are kept by beekeepers either. Plenty of wild hives out there. I can't make anyone here listen to reason so I am done trying.

 

[frogparty]

I know what youre getting at Rick, and I agree that its better not to rob the environment of such a bebeficial insect.

 

[mantidsaresweet]

Yes I agree with Rick too. There are plenty of other insects that can make for a good mantis meal. We as humans need pollinators like the honeybee. They populations are in decline so killing more is adding to the problem.

Perhaps if you started a colony in your yard that produced thousands of bees then taking a few for your mantis would not be a huge deal becuase overall you would be helping to increase the population. Although that seems much harder than finding an alternative food source.

Have you tried catching moths as night? They are a great food source and easy to find and catch.

 

[happy1892]

True.

Not all honeybees are kept by beekeepers either. Plenty of wild hives out there. I can't make anyone here listen to reason so I am done trying.

Sorry, I was rude. The thing that really harms them are other things and Crazy4mantis feeding them to his few mantids are not many but maybe there could be too many people feeding too many honey bees but there are not a whole lot of people who keep mantids but maybe there are enough to actually harm them. Do you think so?

 

[happy1892]

Sorry, I was rude. The thing that really harms them are other things and Crazy4mantis feeding them to his few mantids are not many but maybe there could be too many people feeding too many honey bees but there are not a whole lot of people who keep mantids but maybe there are enough to actually harm them. Do you think so?

I will stop. I am hyper.

 

[patrickfraser]

SCREW THE FLIES...I WANT BEES!

 

[happy1892]

Hahahaha funny!

 

[Crazy4mantis]

lol-ed at the pic!

Have you tried catching moths as night? They are a great food source and easy to find and catch.

You know I never really thought of moths! I have a swarm of moths around my porch light at night!

 

[Mvalenz]

If I wasn't moving soon I would start beekeeping.

 

[eyes]

This is the first year in probably a decade that I have seen honey bees in any significant numbers and even now there aren't that many compared to 20 years ago. My grandfather used to keep bees but that was decades ago. Man, I can't count how many times I have been stung by them. One time we dropped several hives off the back of a truck while loading them and I had no protection on. Ouchy.

With that in mind I hate to kill them but to be honest I have been thinking about grabbing a couple as "treats" to mix things up. I don't think 2 or 3 will affect the hive

 

[mantidsaresweet]

You know I never really thought of moths! I have a swarm of moths around my porch light at night!

The best and cheapest food source IMO lol.