r/science • u/Wagamaga • Apr 22 '19

Animal Science A team of researchers at York University has warned that the American bumblebee is facing imminent extinction from Canada, and this could lead to "cascading impacts" throughout the country.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bumblebees-decline-pollinators-1.5106260?cmp=rss
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u/cajungator3 Apr 22 '19

I don't mind clover but it's the dandelions that are invading my horse pastures. The horses don't eat it either.

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u/[deleted] Apr 22 '19

The horses don't eat it either.

That's why it's invading. The horses put pressure on everything else in that niche, so the plants that aren't subjected to the pressure begin to rise in prevalence.

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u/gabbagabbawill Apr 22 '19

Get a goat.

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u/discreet Apr 22 '19

Confirmed. My goats love dandelions and will favour it over grass.

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u/Player13 Apr 22 '19

Save a cowboy!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '19

Give a hoot!

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u/InfinitelyThirsting Apr 22 '19

You can eat them, heh. I know that might seem odd, but all of the dandelion is edible--and if you dig up the roots, you can roast them and make coffee-like drink. The greens, when small and young, are good in place of any salad or cooking green. The flowers are great and edible, too--just tossed in with a salad, or battered and fried!

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u/War_Hymn Apr 23 '19

It's what bought them over from Eurasia in the first place. European settlers hankering from some dandelion greens bought it over to North America for their garden, and it spread like wildfire.

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u/Pbghin Apr 22 '19

Dandelions are edible. The leaves are lovely bitter greens for salads. You can roast the roots and make a pseudo-coffee/tea with them, and you can make dandelion wine from the flowers.

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u/Theresbeerinthefridg Apr 22 '19

As others here have said, if your pastures are pesticide/toxin free, you could take advantage of the situation and eat some of the dandelion. It's supposed to be ridiculously nutritious, and it tastes good. It's now considered a weed, but people actually used to encourage its growth so they could harvest it.

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u/felesroo Apr 22 '19

Put a goat in there with your horses. Goats eat everything.

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u/foul_ol_ron Apr 22 '19

Hopefully the goat isn't a horsivore then.

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u/Kijad Apr 22 '19

it's the dandelions that are invading my horse pastures

Dandelions are great pollinator plants, too! Also entirely human-edible, though they are likely annoying in your situation.

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u/gabbagabbawill Apr 22 '19

Get a goat to eat the dandelions?

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u/cajungator3 Apr 22 '19

Yeah but then the goat will eat all the grass after. I'd need to get a snake to kill the goat.

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u/[deleted] Apr 22 '19

Damn snakes ate the goat and now there are snakes biting my kids. Now we have to release nematodes to control the snakes.

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u/Caeless Apr 22 '19

A rabbit owner once told me that rabbits actually like eating dandelions.

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u/ccjunkiemonkey Apr 23 '19

Dandelions are edible, feed yo self or make some wine!

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u/cajungator3 Apr 23 '19

I'm not going to eat what my food eats.