In the 1990s, a dramatic Chinese experiment gave us a glimpse of what a world without pollinators would look like. This event, which is very well known to ecologists, deserves to be remembered.
Apple growing in China’s Maoxian region was going through a period of great turbulence. At issue, an annihilation of bee populations had forced apple growers to find alternatives. Thousands of workers were then hired to replace the bees. Perched on ladders, they had to spend days manually pollinating apple blossoms. A colossal work which had the merit of reminding how the role of bees in the biosphere is irreplaceable.
Indeed, the most valiant of humans, it took a whole day to pollinate 5 to 10 trees. A big and trying job that the bees did discreetly without asking the farmers for a salary. Faced with the magnitude of the task, many apple growers simply decided to cut down the fruit trees and close up shop.
This misadventure made the farmers of this valley realize that it was desirable to diversify crops in their region to allow bees to settle there again.
They cultivated there clover, plum trees and various species of vegetables which gradually favored the return of the buzzing.
There are very popular figures in the literature to better remind us of the gigantism of the work done by bees in the biosphere. To make one kilogram of honey, four liters of nectar are needed. However, such a harvest requires the bees from 20,000 to 100,000 trips between the hive and the flowers. Every day, a hive housing 30,000 foragers visits 21 million flowers. This does not represent far from 700 flowers per worker. This colossal task can be done within a radius of 3 kilometers.
Beyond the production of honey, it is also important to remember that this pollination work would depend on 35% of what we eat. Even if the accuracy of these figures is subject to discussion in the world of ecologists and beekeepers, they have the merit of putting an image on the importance of protecting bees, but also other pollinating creatures, including butterflies, flies , ants, beetles, wasp, etc.
While waiting for political courage to bring our decision-makers to ban the molecules responsible for the genocide of pollinators, we can provide our small share of the effort. If you want to participate, I suggest you show solidarity with hymenoptera by developing a fondness for dandelions.
The lawn industry and all that it takes to keep it green and blemish-free, including the waste of water, has successfully etched into our brains that dandelion is a weed.
However, the concept of weed is the expression of a terrible anthropocentrism. It is plant discrimination that makes no sense. The dandelion is one of the most important and generous plants with the pollinator. It is a species victim of an incomprehensible exclusion in our borders. This well-integrated unconscious bias, everyone moves forward with the mission of ripping them out or spraying them with chemicals.
Anyone who finds it difficult to visualize what a systemic bias is should take the example of the dandelion to understand. Why are we so intolerant of dandelion? Why roll out the red carpet at the daisy and go after the dandelion? The answer I get most often is, “I don’t know, but it’s always been the same. »
It has to change. We cannot repeat on all the rooftops that we must save the pollinators and go after what sustains the bees. To tolerate dandelions is to reach out to the bees. Let’s be clear, I’m not trying to make anyone feel guilty here. I myself subscribed to this discrimination for a few years before signing a non-aggression pact with Dandelion.
I suggest you sign this pact.
In the meantime, I wish you a beautiful spring and a beautiful summer filled with dandelions!