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New Bee Poems
(I) The Urban Bee
the urban bee nests
under buildings,
& in bird-boxes,
in compost bins, hedgerows,
wall cavities,
& old bird nests,
& in new ones,
ousting wrens
& redstarts,
or snug underground
in last years rabbit
& hedgehog holes
after Gillian C. Lye, Juliet L. Osborne, Kirsty J. Park, Dave Goulson; 'Using citizen science to monitor Bombus populations in the UK: nesting ecology and relative abundance in the urban environment'
(II) The Crofting Bee
the bumble-bees are
(June)
white clover & yellow rattle
drawing a zig-
(July)
red clover & tufted vetch
zag line through
(August)
and common knapweed
the summer machair
Nicola Redpath, Lynne M. Osgathorpe, Kirsty J. Park, Dave Goulson; 'Crofting and bumblebee conservation: The impact of land management practices on bumblebee populations in northwest Scotland'
(III) fewer flowers / less bees
the increased yield of grass
means less hedges
less hedges
means less weeds
less weeds
means less voles
less voles
means less nests
less nests
means less bumblebees
after Dave Goulson, 'Conservation of bumblebees', The Glasgow Naturalist (2009) Volume 25
(IV)
being specialists
the longer or shorter
bumble-bee tongues are
defines their flower
reach and niche
& whether they thrive
after Dave Goulson, ‘Diet breadth, coexistence and rarity in bumblebees’, Community composition in bumblebees
(V)
GOOD buzz
poll- VIB-
RATIONS
ination
after May Berenbaum’s review, ‘A humble plea for the bumblebee’, of Dave Goulson’s book, A Sting in the Tale
(VI)
to gain the grains
the bee must wiggle
grab the anthers
& give them a jiggle
after May Berenbaum’s review, ‘A humble plea for the bumblebee’, of Dave Goulson’s book, A Sting in the Tale
note: some plants – tomatoes, for instance – will not release pollen unless their anthers are vibrated at a particular frequency
Dave Goulson, A Sting in the Tale
(I) The Urban Bee
the urban bee nests
under buildings,
& in bird-boxes,
in compost bins, hedgerows,
wall cavities,
& old bird nests,
& in new ones,
ousting wrens
& redstarts,
or snug underground
in last years rabbit
& hedgehog holes
after Gillian C. Lye, Juliet L. Osborne, Kirsty J. Park, Dave Goulson; 'Using citizen science to monitor Bombus populations in the UK: nesting ecology and relative abundance in the urban environment'
(II) The Crofting Bee
the bumble-bees are
(June)
white clover & yellow rattle
drawing a zig-
(July)
red clover & tufted vetch
zag line through
(August)
and common knapweed
the summer machair
Nicola Redpath, Lynne M. Osgathorpe, Kirsty J. Park, Dave Goulson; 'Crofting and bumblebee conservation: The impact of land management practices on bumblebee populations in northwest Scotland'
(III) fewer flowers / less bees
the increased yield of grass
means less hedges
less hedges
means less weeds
less weeds
means less voles
less voles
means less nests
less nests
means less bumblebees
after Dave Goulson, 'Conservation of bumblebees', The Glasgow Naturalist (2009) Volume 25
(IV)
being specialists
the longer or shorter
bumble-bee tongues are
defines their flower
reach and niche
& whether they thrive
after Dave Goulson, ‘Diet breadth, coexistence and rarity in bumblebees’, Community composition in bumblebees
(V)
GOOD buzz
poll- VIB-
RATIONS
ination
after May Berenbaum’s review, ‘A humble plea for the bumblebee’, of Dave Goulson’s book, A Sting in the Tale
(VI)
to gain the grains
the bee must wiggle
grab the anthers
& give them a jiggle
after May Berenbaum’s review, ‘A humble plea for the bumblebee’, of Dave Goulson’s book, A Sting in the Tale
note: some plants – tomatoes, for instance – will not release pollen unless their anthers are vibrated at a particular frequency
Dave Goulson, A Sting in the Tale
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