Is this a problem or a scare story

[The Drone Ranger]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23347867

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22893619

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/18339797

[Jon]

Highlights the risks we take by importing stuff if nothing else.

[The Drone Ranger]

Wonder why we can't produce bumble bees
I would have thought there was no need for importing

[gavin]

Economies of scale, lack of enterprise? Should be room for a cottage industry I'd have thought.

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[The Drone Ranger]

Economies of scale, lack of enterprise? Should be room for a cottage industry I'd have thought.

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I think you are right Gavin because even big fruit operations are using several dozens rather than thousands of colonies
Down at crop research don't they use bumble bees ? or are they all grown in the open

[GRIZZLY]

crop research tends to use bluebottles - using maggots obtained from fishing tackle shops and letting them pupate.

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Grizzly
Bluebottles ? now there's a thing. I never knew they did any pollinating
I just thought they flew around looking for things to be sick on

It's a long time since I did any coarse fishing but we used to have Gozzers and Pinkys I seem to remember
Then the pupa were casters all very useful baits
No wonder they were so dear if the crop research chaps were snapping them all up
In the end you could buy them in dispensing machines in some petrol stations
Happy Days :)