Honeybees Dying Off in US and Parts of Europe

[J Larsen]

This is quite unnerving; I'm very surprised that I hadn't heard anything about it until this morning:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/29/news/honey...dex.htm?cnn=yes

More here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder

This has wide-ranging ramifications beyond just honey production. Besides the fact that honeybees are really cool animals, we need them.

[Rooster_Ties]

From the first CNN article...

And the impact goes far beyond direct bee products like honey and wax. Three-quarters of the world's 250,000 flowering plants - including many fruits and vegetables - require pollination to reproduce.

/

Time for a rewrite, which we may need sooner than we we think...

...and that's why birds do it,

bees [used to] do it [back when there still were bees],

Even educated fleas do it.

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

Edited March 30, 2007 by Rooster_Ties

[Neal Pomea]

Yeah, I have been hearing about this. One theory is that there is a pesticide that disorients the bees so much, they can't find their way back to the hive. That is why they haven't found any dead bees in the hive. They die outside it.

[king ubu]

so that weirdo chap with his tongue out on that photo and unable to bind his own necktie, he seems to have said something like "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left."

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/...icle2314202.ece

[Adam]

A friend told me about this a few weeks ago, as she had been following it closely. Little reported such as the story of "world's oceans almost fished out" that tell of a far more profound devesatation of the environment than is reported.

There are other interesting elements to the story. The reference to "managed bee populations?" Most bees used for pollinating are owned by bee keepers who are hired to go from farm to farm with their bees to do pollination. Bees have been largely under man's control in the United States for quite some time.

[JSngry]

Canaries in a mineshaft...

[brownie]

so that weirdo chap with his tongue out on that photo

The quote from that man was:

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”

[king ubu]

Thanks brownie, being at work I couldn't find the correct quote within a reasonable amount of time... that whole thing is rather worrying!

[Noj]

Scary.

[Jim R]

I hadn't heard about this. Interesting, because I clearly recall an odd experience I had a few months ago. I took a walk in the local residential area, and when I left the house, I noticed a couple of dead bees on the driveway and the sidewalk in front of our house. I walked about two miles, and on almost every street there was at least one dead bee on the sidewalk. I've gone for many walks before and since, but as I recall, it was only on that one day that I saw this oddity.

[J Larsen]

I believe the wiki article mentions that a popular theory is that recently introduced nicotine-base pesticides are to blame. It seems like there ought to be data on when various regions started using these chemicals so that the theory can be tested.

[Noj]

http://www.ento.psu.edu/MAAREC/pressReleas...eUpdate0107.pdf

More info...

[Jim Alfredson]

I was thinking about this the other day as I saw some bees on our spring flowers outside. It is a serious problem.

[Quincy]

A friend told me about this a few weeks ago, as she had been following it closely. Little reported such as the story of "world's oceans almost fished out" that tell of a far more profound devesatation of the environment than is reported.

And just today there's a story about how the decline of large sharks in the Atlantic (all for shark fin soup ) is leading to an increase in rays, which then feast on scallops and oysters off the eastern US coast. Life out of imbalance indeed.

There are other interesting elements to the story. The reference to "managed bee populations?" Most bees used for pollinating are owned by bee keepers who are hired to go from farm to farm with their bees to do pollination. Bees have been largely under man's control in the United States for quite some time.

Honeybees were introduced to the US in 1622. Escaped bees spread on west. Some natives called them "the white man's fly" if I remember right. It's one of the few introduced species that's "done good" in the US.

Mites have been decimating honeybees for years, so hives are already weakened. Almonds are especially dependent upon honey bees, so if you're an addict you're probably going to be paying more for them.

[mikeweil]

My niece is a trained apiarist. This has been going on for many years. It seems that biologically-organically oriented apiarists have a little less trouble with it, so there's hope.

[Jazzmoose]

My niece is a trained apiarist.

So that's not a hair dresser for simians?

[J Larsen]

She might do this lady's hair:

[JSngry]

[brownie]

Time to stock up on honey

[J Larsen]

In all seriousness, I find this very depressing on many levels, and the possibility of a honey free world doesn't rate very high on the list.

[JSngry]

Canaries in coal mine...

[J Larsen]

Canaries in coal mine...

Exactly. That, and the indifference towards the message... (not talking about anyone around here).

[LAL]

Another possible cause.

http://www.celsias.com/blog/2007/03/29/eur...ing-a-nosedive/

Looks like the likes of Monsanto have more than a hand in this, directly or indirectly...

[Chuck Nessa]

Guess we can all take the queen's advise and eat cake.

[J Larsen]

Another possible cause.

http://www.celsias.com/blog/2007/03/29/eur...ing-a-nosedive/

Looks like the likes of Monsanto have more than a hand in this, directly or indirectly...

I looked into this a little in my spare time, and it seems that there is little convincing evidence that this is the case (one major reason for doubt is that bees apparently are not very fond of corn). However, I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand... just saying that so far people who I believe have looked at the issue objectively have not found a convincing link.

Just a quick edit to add that it seems that some researchers are becoming convinced that recently introduced nicotine-based insecticides may be to blame, at least in part.

Edited April 9, 2007 by J Larsen