Diseases of Adult Butterflies

Rev Chuck cdub at -REMOVE_THIS-erols.com
Mon Mar 29 05:53:24 EST 1999


Paul Cherubini wrote:
> 
> Nigel wrote:
> >
> > I don't like to be a spoil-sport but are those garden vegs in Hawaii native
> > or imported? It's easy to try and play God and determine what should and
> > shouldn't be where, but the bottom line is that natural selection will have
> > it's own way in the end............. it always does.
> 
> Good point Nigel. Another thought:  Are the bees that pollinate some of
> the garden veggies (e.g.tomatoes) in Hawaii native or imported?
> 
> Here in California, many of our famous crops (apples, almonds, prunes,
> peaches, pears, apricots, tomatoes, strawberries, etc) are not native
> and virtually 100% dependent on the imported european honey bee for
> pollination.
> 
> Paul Cherubini, El Dorado, California

Right.  And what genius tried to hybridize the Italian honeybees 
with African strains to create a superpollinator?  

Apis mellifera is, in general, on the demise anyway.  Blame fungal 
blights and overuse of wide spectrum insecticides.  The search is 
on for alternate pollinators such as carpenter bees.  Likely, the 
next generation pollinators will come from natives.  

-- 
Nothing says you're insane like prayer.  
Rev Chuck, Alt.Atheism #203, Ordained Reverend, ULC, 17 March, 1997.
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