Do Road Median Planting of Wild Flowers Harm the Bee Population?

Question

We've all seen them. A few years ago as a measure to save money, States began to plant wild flowers in the median of roads. They provided the traveler something pretty to look at while sparing the State the obligation to mow the grass in the road median.

But Bees are also attracted to these same wild flowers, and to get the them a bee must travel across two lanes of highway traffic going to and from the source of pollen.

Just think about it! Millions of Bees are needlessly killed each year in collisions with car windshields or radiators.

Do you think this practice of planting wild flowers in the road median should stop? Do you think planting flowers is harming the bee population? Should tunnels be built to allow cars to travel through the tunnels or while bees fly safely overhead? Maybe bee hives should be kept in the medians as well?

What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

So THAT'S where the  bees are disappearing to.......

They are attracted by the wildflowers and then they.... hitch-hike their way to New Orleans?

Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose?

Answer 2

i`ve been stung by bees driving down the road. Those bees deserve everything they receive on the freeway

Answer 3

No, it's got to be doing more good than harm.  To kill the hive you've got to kill the queen, and worker bees only have a couple of good weeks in them anyway before they die.  They're disposable.

Colony Collapse Disorder is a much bigger problem for bees than getting killed in traffic.

Not only that, bees tend to fly in transit about 10 to 12 feet up, and that's over most commuter traffic and high enough to get drafted up and over commercial vehicles.  I drive charter buses, and I don't hit more than a few bees each trip.

Answer 4

well unless every single bee was flying only 3 feet off the ground as most cars are that height to make best contact yes,

the flowers are doing more good than harm,leave the bloom'n things alone