Results of a study conducted at the University of Colorado suggest that hemp fields may help these insects continue to feed during critical times when pollen is in short supply. According to the study, presented at an entomology conference in Vancouver, Colton O’Brien, a student and researcher at the university, explained that a study in cannabis fields found that of the 66 species of bees known to inhabit Colorado, 23 they were found in traps. established on these plots.
While cannabis plants do not produce nectar, they do produce enough pollen to feed themselves. In fact, the researchers confirmed that larger pollinators, such as bumblebees and sweat bees in fields, are attracted to the color of the plant’s pollen, the food base of its brood, and the structure of its hives. While the nutritional properties of cannabis pollen are still unclear, the results of this study are encouraging for researchers and humans in general, as well as for these tiny insects.
Some studies about bees and weed
We are now adding more data from other studies that have looked at the relationship between bees and cannabis The reason for this is that, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Entomology by researchers at Cornell University, bees are strongly attracted to cannabis plants because they can’t get enough sweet pollen. The research supports the findings of a similar study conducted last year at the University of Colorado and opens options for scientists to save depleted bee populations around the world.
So the study found that the taller cannabis plants and the greater the area they cover, the more bees flock to the farm, with taller plants attracting 17 times more buzz than smaller plants. What’s even cooler is that there are 16 different varieties of cannabis plants that feed these bee populations. But while the bees seem to enjoy the cannabis plant, they don’t actually get high because the insects were not known to have cannabinoid receptors.
However, these findings are a bit confusing when you consider that cannabis does not have the nectar-like taste or bright colors that would normally attract the attention of bees. However, the bees were more often on the male plants, which are generally grown together with flowering female plants that produce cannabis buds, but are not psychoactive. This research is especially important given that bees are responsible for cross-pollinating flowers and promoting the growth of the fruits and vegetables we all depend on. Also, bees seem to be buzzing due to pesticides, habit breaking, and climate change, and cannabis plants can help stop that because they generally don’t use as many pesticides and don’t need as much water to produce.
Another study that has drawn attention for its curious results is the following. In Punjab, India, a study published in 2012 showed that during periods of flower scarcity (which occurs in May and June in Punjab), honey bees (Apis mellifera) turn to abundant male bees as a source of pollen that grows wild in the marijuana plant of the region. Since cannabis flowers do not produce nectar, observed cannabis-eating bees exclusively collect pollen.
Furthermore, bees have been observed to feed on male flowers only in the morning and at night. They are not there at other times. This is because anther dehiscence, the process by which the male reproductive organs separate to release pollen, occurs during these periods. Therefore, cannabis plants attract bees, but only males, and only during periods when flowers are scarce and pollen production is highest.
Protect the bees do not use neem oil
The active principle of neem oil, azadirachtin, is a pesticide of fundamental importance in organic farming, selectively attacking various pests that cannot be controlled in any other way. However, a recent study concluded that male bumblebees were negatively affected “even at concentrations 50 times lower than those recommended and used by farmers.” At the recommended levels, no males were born from the laboratory colonies. At levels 50 times lower, the few males that were born became deformed.
Previous research has shown that neem oil is generally safe for bees, but bumblebees remain very important pollinators of crops and wildflowers. Furthermore, the use of any substance that threatens biodiversity should be avoided at all costs, as the continued loss of plant and animal species on Earth has been deemed the sixth mass extinction on Earth. It would be particularly unwise to threaten the presence of pollinating species that we, by their very nature, depend on for our survival.
Flower shortage. The best food for bees
During periods of flower shortage, commercial beekeepers often supplement the diet of their bees with either a high fructose corn syrup or a sugar syrup with added protein. Interestingly, research has shown that bees fed a simple sugar syrup, made from sucrose, produce more brood in spring than bees fed fructose. In addition, supplemental protein increased pup numbers but did not provide the young with complete nutrition.
Therefore, beekeepers must supplement the diet of their bees with sugar syrup made from sucrose during periods of floral lean, and must supply a more nutritionally complete source of protein than that provided by supplements. Pollen from cannabis or hemp, or similar species that flower at the right times, would be an ideal way to provide bees with the full profile of amino acids needed for protein synthesis, along with a healthy mix of vitamins and minerals.
The importance of Hemp for bees
Hemp is wind pollinated and does not require pollinators such as bees to produce seeds and new plants. It is also a dioecious plant, which means that the plants are either male or female. The hemp that produces cannabidiol (CBD) oil, which currently comprises approximately 90% of US hemp production, is produced from the female plant. Hemp has not been grown commercially on a large scale in the US for 70 years, until the Hemp Grow Act was signed into law as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The hemp bloom in northern Colorado, where this study was conducted, occurs between late July and late September, after other commercial crops have completed their blooms. This time period coincides with a scarcity of pollinator-friendly crop plants in the region, making hemp flowers a potentially valuable source of pollen for bees, also available at a time of year when flowers they become rare.
But hemp provides more than pollen to bees. Studies show that crop diversity helps biodiversity in general. Planting another high-value rotation crop like hemp (capable of producing anything from fiber to biofuel) can benefit farmers financially. When growers have more rotational crop options, it leads to healthier cropping systems and fewer problems. It becomes easier to control weeds, pests and diseases. This indirectly benefits the bees.
Although, it is still early to see if the introduction of hemp as a rotation crop will alter the surrounding ecosystems, especially in rotation with corn and soybeans or in crops of tomatoes, squash and peppers. Or if hemp will divert bees from other specialty crops, as expanding hemp production can facilitate pollination in nearby crops.
More life for the bees with cannabis
New research from Poland has found that bees supplemented with hemp extract age more slowly than bees fed a normal diet. Getting older stops being fun at some point, and humans go to great lengths to slow down and even try to reverse the aging process. Also very important. According to Statista, “The global antiaging market is estimated to be worth approximately $58.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% through 2026.” of them nothing more than oil, which serves to take advantage of those who want to age more slowly and live longer.
There is one thing that may hold promise for anti-aging product seekers: hemp. Researchers affiliated with the Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin Poland, explored the relationship between bees and the consumption of hemp extracts and antioxidant system in the hemolymph of adult honey bees. The study involved researchers dividing the bees into three groups: Bees fed pure sugar syrup, cotton strips soaked with hemp extract. Bees fed a mixture of sugar syrup with hemp extract. Bees fed with a mixture of sugar and a solution of water and glycerin. The researchers collected hemolymph samples on the first day of the study and each following week until all the bees were dead.
The researchers then examined the deceased bees. “Activities of all antioxidant enzymes were higher for the experimental groups compared to the control group. The highest antioxidant activities were observed in the cannabis-supplemented group,” the researchers stated. “Hemp supplementation also increased the lifespan of bees compared to those consuming only sugar syrup. Hemp extract, thanks to its antioxidant properties, delays aging processes,” the researchers concluded. Obviously, bees are not the same as humans, so how this applies to the human species is somewhat that must be investigated before applicable conclusions can be drawn.
However, the results, as far as bees are concerned, are still very enlightening. Hemp extracts are perfectly safe for bees and humans, so increasing the consumption of hemp extracts in both species is a win-win situation. It’s no secret that the global bee population is declining and could have catastrophic effects. in the world’s ecosystems. Helping bees stay alive longer is always a good thing. From that perspective, the results of this study are very remarkable and will hopefully be used to effectively help the global bee population.
Amazing cannabis seeds strain to help bees
As we have already pointed out in this blog, bees do not get high from cannabis since they do not have an endocannabinoid system like that of humans or other animals. So, these insects are mostly attracted to male cannabis or hemp plants because it is the males that produce pollen which is used by bees to pollinate other plants or to transfer it to other areas. For this reason, below we are going to give you some recommendations for cannabis strain that you can grow, if you want to help bees and their subsistence in the environment, since we know that these insects are essential for our planet and without them, Humans practically cannot live.
Tropi BCN x Pineapple Sherbet Regular
This mostly sativa variety, which is a cross between Tropi BCN x Pineapple Sherbet Regular, is a genetic in which you will find both male and female plants, which is why we recommend it because remember that male plants are the ones that deliver pollen. This cross of the new generation of weed strains is characterized by its heavy yields of up to 31 oz/plant outdoors and about 1.96 oz/ft2 of very compact, resin-filled buds.
On the other hand, its flavors, which are a mixture of orange-type citrus notes and its sweet aftertaste with a marked tendency to biscuits, are perfect for lovers of fruity and sweet tastes. As for the Tropi BCN x Pineapple Sherbet effects, you will feel full of energy in a euphoric and very happy state. You can buy these regular weed seeds here at Blimburn Seeds with the quality guarantee of our seed bank, where you will also find more than 800 other cannabis genetics.
Sweet Tooth Regular
This regular genetic named Sweet Tooth Regular is mostly indica and is characterized by its sweet flavor with notes of candy, as well as its punch that is withering because it has a potency of 22%-24% THC and produces relaxing sensations that leave you feeling on a cloud, elevated in both body and mind. If you want to help bees to maintain their lives and continue their tireless work as the great pollinators of the planet, then you should cultivate this regular variety since its males are excellent producers of pollen with which the bees will be able to pollinate in all its surroundings.
Do not forget that with regular cannabis seeds and their pollen, you will be able to pollinate other female weed plants, and thus make your own cannabis seeds at home, a matter that few gardeners know about and the benefits that the plants provide of weed and that we tell you here on the Blimburn seeds blog.
Sour Diesel Kush Regular
We cannot fail to mention an incredible variety that is one of the best of sativa genetics such as Sour Diesel and also the best of indica genetics such as OG Kush. This cross of Sour Diesel Kush Regular is an explosive mostly indica bomb that has THC levels of 21%-23% and with which you will get 1.67 oz/ft2 of buds and an incredible outdoor yield of up to 17 oz/plant. The female and male plants of this variety tend to have a compact structure and the males produce large amounts of pollen that bees love for sure.
Also, Sour Diesel OG Regular will help you if you have problems with fatigue, chronic pain or spasms, since its effects are usually rather sedative and relaxing, always accompanied by feelings of happiness and joy, but without euphoria. As a good variety descended from a Sour genetics and another OG, you will feel flavors with a “gas” style, typical of Diesel, as well as refreshing lemon aftertastes with certain earthy notes from its OG parent.
