Save the Bees!!

[not_nadine]

Absolutely save the bees. But check your area. It seems they tried to do a nice thing without fully researching it.

 

[Sundrop]

I think that anyone or any group can take an extreme point of view, and deter a good intenion. What some might call noxious weeds, I call pretty flowers. I'm still gonna plant my seeds, and probably buy more. I have an area all prepped and ready, and am excited to see the bees and possibly some butterflies this spring and summer.

 

[not_nadine]

I think that anyone or any group can take an extreme point of view, and deter a good intenion. What some might call noxious weeds, I call pretty flowers. I'm still gonna plant my seeds, and probably buy more. I have an area all prepped and ready, and am excited to see the bees and possibly some butterflies this spring and summer.

Have you ever had a butterfly bush? I had them along with the flowers. They smell amazing and really draw beautiful butterflies and all kinds of insects.

Spoiler

 

[Sundrop]

Have you ever had a butterfly bush? I had them along with the flowers. They smell amazing and really draw beautiful butterflies and all kinds of insects.

Spoiler

Oh, yeah. We love butterfly bushes. My aunt gave me cuttings from hers. We have purple, yellow, and white. I can't seem to get pink ones to grow. They are beautiful. I also have several trumpet vines that attract humming birds. I'm adding sunflowers this year...the giant ones. They also attract bees.....and I just want to see how big they will actually grow
.....and of course, I go out and get wild daisies, queen Anne's lace, and black eyed Susans and plant them all around. People say they're weeds, but I think they're lovely.

 

[Kingunlucky]

Damn, I just got promoted to produce.

 

[not_nadine]

Oh, yeah. We love butterfly bushes. My aunt gave me cuttings from hers. We have purple, yellow, and white. I can't seem to get pink ones to grow. They are beautiful. I also have several trumpet vines that attract humming birds. I'm adding sunflowers this year...the giant ones. They also attract bees.....and I just want to see how big they will actually grow
.....and of course, I go out and get wild daisies, queen Anne's lace, and black eyed Susans and plant them all around. People say they're weeds, but I think they're lovely.

Larger birds will love the sunflowers. I would cut off the droopy head when it went to seed for my parrot.

 

[Dana Jean]

From the USA Today article:

Cheerios gave away 1.5 billion wildflower seeds to aid ailing bee populations this month, the brand said, depleting its supply and smashing its goal of 100 million donated seeds.

But unwanted buzz abounds: The packets Cheerios sent out included seeds for plants deemed invasive in some states and outright banned in others. As Llifehacker noted, the seeds include those for forget-me-nots, banned as a noxious weed in both Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as for the California poppy, listed as an "invasive exotic pest plant" in the southeast. Many of the seeds aren't native to any part of the United States, the site reported.

Bees play a critical role in our food supply. They're also dying globally at an alarming rate, prompting Honey Nut Cheerios' #BringBacktheBees campaign inspired by its bee mascot, Buzz.

Kathryn Turner, an ecologist specializing in invasive plants, told Lifehacker that "many species can and have caused a great deal of damage when they are introduced into locations outside of their native range."

"Invasive species can out-compete the natives they encounter," Turner said to the site, "they can take up all the space and use up all the resources, they can spread disease, and cause other physical changes to their new homes, all of which can have detrimental effects on native species, and on humans."

As complaints of the seed packets' contents hit Cheerios' Facebook page this weekend, the cereal brand responded with a statement pushing back at talk of invasive varieties.

"The seed varieties in the mix are not considered invasive," Cheerios said, adding that the "flower varieties within the Bee Friendlier Mix were selected for their flowers which produce nectar and pollen that are attractive to bees and other pollinators."

It's possible that seeds Cheerios sent to an incompatible region could go into the ground and spark an invasion (or add to a pre-existing one), but they're not the brand's only effort at saving bees. Honey Nut Cheerios plans to plant more than 3,000 acres of bee habitat on oat farms by 2020, General Mills announced.

Several species of bees have experienced dramatic declines in recent decades, with a bumblebee becoming endangered this year for the first time. The declines are believed to come from a variety of factors, including habitat loss and small populations.

If you're unsure about your pack of Cheerios seeds or missed out on the giveaway entirely, take the brand's advice and "buy wildflower seeds at your local store" so an expert can assist you with picking safe seeds to plant.

Holy crap. People just want to b*tch. Can't they even for one second consider that they were TRYING to make our world better? okay, maybe they did make mistakes here, but they were not done maliciously. Don't plant the damn seeds if your state says forget-me-nots are invasive. Send them to a relative who CAN plant them.

 

[danie]

Holy crap. People just want to b*tch. Can't they even for one second consider that they were TRYING to make our world better? okay, maybe they did make mistakes here, but they were not done maliciously. Don't plant the damn seeds if your state says forget-me-nots are invasive. Send them to a relative who CAN plant them.

I think the article's writer and the folks interviewed weren't b*tching; they're genuinely concerned that planting invasive species could cause many different problems for the environment, other plants (that maybe the bees need) and humans. I read it as more of an informative article so that the reader is aware of a problem and can purchase plant species safe for his area. The article never says the Cheerios people were malicious--they just had a concern that I feel should be voiced.

 

[Dana Jean]

I think the article's writer and the folks interviewed weren't b*tching; they're genuinely concerned that planting invasive species could cause many different problems for the environment, other plants (that maybe the bees need) and humans. I read it as more of an informative article so that the reader is aware of a problem and can purchase plant species safe for his area. The article never says the Cheerios people were malicious--they just had a concern that I feel should be voiced.

Fair enough.

I just know how the internet works to immediately attack, so hopefully informed people about their states ecosystem will respond by sending them where they can be planted. Bees anywhere is a good thing!

 

[danie]

Fair enough.

I just know how the internet works to immediately attack, so hopefully informed people about their states ecosystem will respond by sending them where they can be planted. Bees anywhere is a good thing!

Yes, I agree. I love the little buggers.

 

[Doc Creed]

Holy crap. People just want to b*tch. Can't they even for one second consider that they were TRYING to make our world better? okay, maybe they did make mistakes here, but they were not done maliciously. Don't plant the damn seeds if your state says forget-me-nots are invasive. Send them to a relative who CAN plant them.

I know. For every positive act in the world there is inevitably a self-appointed arbiter of justice that takes umbrage with it. I understand that there are state laws and unique circumstances but, as you said, find a solution and don't add to the problem.

 

[Dana Jean]

I know. For every positive act in the world there is inevitably a self-appointed arbiter of justice that takes umbrage with it. I understand that there are state laws and unique circumstances but, as you said, find a solution and don't add to the problem.

It is a good thing, as Danie said, to let people know to check before planting. Because yes, invasive species can choke out other important critters and plants. But, yes, just do something good and be part of the solution.

 

[Doc Creed]

It is a good thing, as Danie said, to let people know to check before planting. Because yes, invasive species can choke out other important critters and plants. But, yes, just do something good and be part of the solution.

Absolutely. There are many invasive plants that harm the ecosystem and it's a fragile balancing act. There must be experts/guardians or good stewards of the planet to ensure this, but I am referring to the general statement that you made. Obviously, like the melaleuca trees in Florida or the ubiquitous kudzu vines (introduced from Japan) there are real world consequences to these types of situations.

 

[Dana Jean]

Absolutely. There are many invasive plants that harm the ecosystem and it's a fragile balancing act. There must be experts/guardians or good stewards of the planet to ensure this, but I am referring to the general statement that you made. Obviously, like the melaleuca trees in Florida or the ubiquitous kudzu vines (introduced from Japan) there are real world consequences to these non-habitat species.

Yes, you are very right. I knew where you were coming from in your response, I was just babbling on about bees, ecosystems and invasive plants.

 

[ghost19]

....see, I knew there was a reason I liked you......

If I ever win the lottery, you'll hear one of those pulling up into your driveway with a keg in the trunk sir

 

[GNTLGNT]

If I ever win the lottery, you'll hear one of those pulling up into your driveway with a keg in the trunk sir

...can I get an AMEN?!?!...

 

[Sundrop]

I don't think a few forget me nots or poppies in a wildflower mixture are going to take over the world. Sure, high concentrations of them might not be good, but it's not like they're the only flower seeds in the mix.

 

[Doc Creed]

If I ever win the lottery, you'll hear one of those pulling up into your driveway with a keg in the trunk sir

...can I get an AMEN?!?!...

 

[GNTLGNT]

View attachment 20135

 

[Dana Jean]

I don't think a few forget me nots or poppies in a wildflower mixture are going to take over the world. Sure, high concentrations of them might not be good, but it's not like they're the only flower seeds in the mix.

I actually do think they can cause a lot of harm. And you know how I know? I have some insane flower in my yard, that I planted from seed, beautiful flower! But that damn thing has taken over my yard like a weed. Now, if I lived in some meadow type situation, I would just let it go -- but it's like a jungle out there! It's crazy how quickly it took over. Scary quick.