Science-Technology
See other Science-Technology Articles
Title: Fears For Crops As Shock Figures From America Show Scale Of Bee Catastrophe
Source:
GUARDIAN UK
URL Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environme ... fear-mystery-beehives-collapse
Published: May 4, 2010
Author: Alison Benjamin
Post Date: 2010-05-04 12:55:33 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 20806
Comments: 63
Disturbing evidence that honeybees are in terminal decline has emerged from the United States where, for the fourth year in a row, more than a third of colonies have failed to survive the winter. The decline of the country's estimated 2.4 million beehives began in 2006, when a phenomenon dubbed colony collapse disorder (CCD) led to the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of colonies. Since then more than three million colonies in the US and billions of honeybees worldwide have died and scientists are no nearer to knowing what is causing the catastrophic fall in numbers. The number of managed honeybee colonies in the US fell by 33.8% last winter, according to the annual survey by the Apiary Inspectors of America and the US government's Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The collapse in the global honeybee population is a major threat to crops. It is estimated that a third of everything we eat depends upon honeybee pollination, which means that bees contribute some £26bn to the global economy. Potential causes range from parasites, such as the bloodsucking varroa mite, to viral and bacterial infections, pesticides and poor nutrition stemming from intensive farming methods. The disappearance of so many colonies has also been dubbed "Mary Celeste syndrome" due to the absence of dead bees in many of the empty hives. US scientists have found 121 different pesticides in samples of bees, wax and pollen, lending credence to the notion that pesticides are a key problem. "We believe that some subtle interactions between nutrition, pesticide exposure and other stressors are converging to kill colonies," said Jeffery Pettis, of the ARS's bee research laboratory. A global review of honeybee deaths by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reported last week that there was no one single cause, but pointed the finger at the "irresponsible use" of pesticides that may damage bee health and make them more susceptible to diseases. Bernard Vallat, the OIE's director-general, warned: "Bees contribute to global food security, and their extinction would represent a terrible biological disaster." Dave Hackenberg of Hackenberg Apiaries, the Pennsylvania-based commercial beekeeper who first raised the alarm about CCD, said that last year had been the worst yet for bee losses, with 62% of his 2,600 hives dying between May 2009 and April 2010. "It's getting worse," he said. "The AIA survey doesn't give you the full picture because it is only measuring losses through the winter. In the summer the bees are exposed to lots of pesticides. Farmers mix them together and no one has any idea what the effects might be." Pettis agreed that losses in some commercial operations are running at 50% or greater. "Continued losses of this magnitude are not economically sustainable for commercial beekeepers," he said, adding that a solution may be years away. "Look at Aids, they have billions in research dollars and a causative agent and still no cure. Research takes time and beehives are complex organisms." In the UK it is still too early to judge how Britain's estimated 250,000 honeybee colonies have fared during the long winter. Tim Lovett, president of the British Beekeepers' Association, said: "Anecdotally, it is hugely variable. There are reports of some beekeepers losing almost a third of their hives and others losing none." Results from a survey of the association's 15,000 members are expected this month. John Chapple, chairman of the London Beekeepers' Association, put losses among his 150 members at between a fifth and a quarter. Eight of his 36 hives across the capital did not survive. "There are still a lot of mysterious disappearances," he said. "We are no nearer to knowing what is causing them." Bee farmers in Scotland have reported losses on the American scale for the past three years. Andrew Scarlett, a Perthshire-based bee farmer and honey packer, lost 80% of his 1,200 hives this winter. But he attributed the massive decline to a virulent bacterial infection that quickly spread because of a lack of bee inspectors, coupled with sustained poor weather that prevented honeybees from building up sufficient pollen and nectar stores. The government's National Bee Unit has always denied the existence of CCD in Britain, despite honeybee losses of 20% during the winter of 2008-09 and close to a third the previous year. It attributes the demise to the varroa mite – which is found in almost every UK hive – and rainy summers that stop bees foraging for food. In a hard-hitting report last year, the National Audit Office suggested that amateur beekeepers who failed to spot diseases in bees were a threat to honeybees' survival and called for the National Bee Unit to carry out more inspections and train more beekeepers. Last summer MPs on the influential cross-party public accounts committee called on the government to fund more research into what it called the "alarming" decline of honeybees. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has contributed £2.5m towards a £10m fund for research on pollinators. The public accounts committee has called for a significant proportion of this funding to be "ring-fenced" for honeybees. Decisions on which research projects to back are expected this month.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Brian S (#0)
That's strange. I've been following this news for about three years now about the honeybee problems.
Boofer will be along any moment to allay our fears.
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
He seems to be an expert in every walk of life.
One of my hives absconded as they call it. It swarmed twice in 10 days, leaving only an old queen and a few attendants. She died a couple of days later. The attendants probably went into another hive. We tried to lure in one of the swarms that stayed overnight about four feet off the ground on a peach tree branch into a bee trap. They went in then they flew out. I guess I need to ask Badeye for advice because the local county beekeeper couldn't offer any.
Making the world safe for United Fruit.
My old uncle, bless his soul, was an amateur beekeeper. I know a queen bee is essential to each hive, I just don't know how one goes about getting one. I guess badeye should be able to clear that up for me. I vaguely remember my dad had a couple of hives when I was under ten, but I don't think we had much success with them.
Plus he's an integral part of the company he co-owns, posts constantly on FR, LP, Facebook, and God knows where else, listens to talk radio and watches Fox News and sports all day, and is most likely the go-to guy for the Encyclopedia Britannica when they've got a particularly vexatious problem stumping their experts.
You can buy them on the internet or from professional beekeepers, but hives make their own queen cells and they can be raided to provide queens for new hives. I knew we should have sprayed sugar water on the swarm, dropped them into a bucket and just put them back in the old hive but the beekeeper wanted to trap them and sell them to a student. They were a real docile strain.
Making the world safe for United Fruit.
Thanks. How much does a queen bee typically cost? It sounds like an interesting hobby. I think we have some beekeepers in the area and I should seek them out. They've got to be cheaper than thoroughbreds;^)
I'm flattered you find me worthy of a insane fixation, skippy. My anti groupies obsessive nature is documented for over a decade now...yours is relatively new....(laughing) Ironic when I don't post a comment ya'll get goofy bout THAT. Make up your pinheads.
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
Poor skippy, just dripping with envy! (For obvious reasons)LOL! Sneakypete, have you ever been married? Said things you later regretted?
Oh, and I haven't posted on LP in years, skippy.
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
I don't mind. He's obviously housebound. So I guess I'm doing a public service, his tracking of my internet journey's keeps him from stealing grocery carts, and scaring middle aged women on downtown streets as he mutters incoherently from the gutter about conspiracy theories and the voices inside his head.
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
Um,...Boof...if he's "housebound" how's he scaring people in the streets? And btw, Boofer, when you slithered back, YOU informed everyone of where you had been posting...
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
Of course you two libfags, being conscientious posters, did in fact verify, correct? LOL! Sneakypete, have you ever been married? Said things you later regretted?
You're right there. You got your ass thrown out. Then you went back to FR and whined about it for months. I apologize for the error.
What fixation? Unless I put you on bozo I can't help but see all the BS you post. Everything I posted about came right from you - except LP, which I admit was an error.
That's pretty funny, considering who you're posting it to.
He's STILL whining about it...
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
Definitely cheaper than thoroughbreds. The joke on the backstretch used to be the only people who profited were the vets and feed sellers. Bees do require a certain amount of time and upkeep but often you can get a beekeeper to do it for a nominal fee, for honey or for the queens. Fifteen to fifty dollars per queen is normal in my area. Sometimes more from hives with certain characteristics, like resistance to certain diseases and docility.
Making the world safe for United Fruit.
And he still refers to Goldi by her real name....and that's what got him shitcanned from elPee...revealing other poster's names. He can be a real dickhead.
Badeye sees the admission of an error as a lethal weakness.
Making the world safe for United Fruit.
That's because he has never made a mistake.
I bet his mother has his name tattoed on her arm like that Dos Equis guy's. lol
Making the world safe for United Fruit.
(chuckle) Apparently they have a weird fear of facebook.
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
Yes, I was 'thrown out' and in hindsight I was very lucky. I could have still been there when it went into full blown 'stormfront lite'. Not to mention the hostess was insane then. Interesting how many threads are popping up here demonstrating it this year. I've always been ahead of the curve...(grin)
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
Make up your mind, skippy. And ask somebody to explain how the filter works, cause if you used it correctly you'd never see my posts. Unless one of your fellow kooks is cutting and pasting them obsessively....
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
#16. To: Abu el Banat (#0) Face Book would be more your speed. Start a Goldi is ugly page. ----------------------------------------------------------- WhiteSands posted on 2010-05-04 11:30:04 ET Reply Trace Private Reply ***Think*** she meant that for you, Boof...
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
Oh, Grammar King...everybody knows what happened. I returned fire with the same fire after asking Sally to put a stop to it for over 18 months. I didn't reveal other posters names, the site owners from other web forums fed up with them did...along with the infamous clown posse. I just noted the names, and when Sally didn't do her job as forum owner, after being warned repeatedly, I did unto kooks what kooks did unto me. I NEVER posted anyone's picture. Or address. Or contacted them at their place of work, or at their home. Never contacted county officials. Never wrote a review on Amazon (my personal kook favorite btw). But no matter. If I don't post here, ya'll whine about it. If I do post here, ya'll whine about it. Basically, ya'll whine....(laughing)
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
Chuckles...Boofer is STILL in denial. Never contacted county officials. Nice parse, Boofer.
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
Chuckles...simply because you knew what awaited...YOUR ugly Hagar suit clad Starsky glasses wearing mug being posted in return. How many times are we going to play this over, Boof? Do you know how many times YOU posted your own name on LP?
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
I did a search for IMstillRight the other day and it pointed me to a review on Amazon...it was from 2007 or so. His screen name was mentioned by the reviewer as was war's as interesting posters.
No, I want to see your posts. They're funny. The only person I block is your pal Ibluayukonfartsky. I guess you two have a lot in common.
Maybe YOU should ask someone how the English language works. He never claimed to have you on filter.
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
ping to #31; the edit feature doesn't let me edit the to: block...no biggie.
Thanks...
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
It's understandable why he gets confused. He's got the radio on, the tv on, three browser windows (at least) open and, occasionally, someone may have to ask him a business question. There's also his Facebook page to update, so his fans always know exactly what he's doing at all times. The poor guy must be exhausted.
"Excuse me, Mr. Boofer, can you sweep up in aisle 2??"
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
Pretty sure he left the web after realizing my anti groupie got him banned from multiple political forums.
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
Like you after a day of playing Obama's flute, skippy? (Laughing!!!!!!!) Sneakypete, have you ever been married? Said things you later regretted?
I see. So bascially you just proved you are bi polar, on this thread. Hmmm. Not that there is anything wrong with that......lmao
I can see NOVEMBER from my House....
Chyea...took him two years to realize it tho which still makes him smarter than you...
#67. To: war (#48) Keep hiding behind the bozo, bozo. (laughing) You've always been a world class pussy. Badeye posted on 2010-01-14 16:12:48 ET Reply Trace
Comments (42 - 63) not displayed.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestThe government's National Bee Unit has always denied the existence of CCD in Britain, despite honeybee losses of 20% during the winter of 2008-09 and close to a third the previous year.
#2. To: Fred Mertz (#1)
(Edited)
#3. To: war (#2)
#4. To: Fred Mertz (#1)
(Edited)
That's strange. I've been following this news for about three years now about the honeybee problems.
#5. To: mininggold (#4)
(Edited)
#6. To: Fred Mertz, Badeye (#3)
He seems to be an expert in every walk of life.
#7. To: Fred Mertz (#5)
I know a queen bee is essential to each hive, I just don't know how one goes about getting one. I guess badeye should be able to clear that up for me.
#8. To: mininggold (#7)
#9. To: Skip Intro (#6)
#10. To: Skip Intro, Fred Mertz, Badeye (#6)
Plus he's an integral part of the company he co-owns, posts constantly on FR, LP, Facebook, and God knows where else, listens to talk radio and watches Fox News and sports all day, and is most likely the go-to guy for the Encyclopedia Britannica when they've got a particularly vexatious problem stumping their experts.
#11. To: Skip Intro (#6)
#12. To: Ibluafartsky (#10)
Poor skippy, just dripping with envy! (For obvious reasons)LOL!
#13. To: Boofer, Skip Intro (#12)
He's obviously housebound. So I guess I'm doing a public service, his tracking of my internet journey's keeps him from stealing grocery carts, and scaring middle aged women on downtown streets as he mutters incoherently from the gutter about conspiracy theories and the voices inside his head.
#14. To: war, Skip Intro, Badeye (#13)
YOU informed everyone of where you had been posting...
#15. To: Badeye (#11)
Oh, and I haven't posted on LP in years, skippy.
#16. To: Badeye (#9)
I'm flattered you find me worthy of a insane fixation, skippy.
#17. To: Badeye (#12)
He's obviously housebound.
#18. To: Skip Intro (#15)
#19. To: Fred Mertz (#8)
(Edited)
It sounds like an interesting hobby. I think we have some beekeepers in the area and I should seek them out. They've got to be cheaper than thoroughbreds;^)
#20. To: war (#18)
#21. To: Skip Intro (#16)
Everything I posted about came right from you - except LP, which I admit was an error.
#22. To: mininggold (#21)
Badeye sees the admission of an error as a lethal weakness.
#23. To: Skip Intro (#22)
That's because he has never made a mistake.
#24. To: Ibluafartsky (#14)
#25. To: Skip Intro (#15)
#26. To: Skip Intro (#16)
#27. To: Boofer (#24)
(Edited)
Apparently they have a weird fear of facebook.
Toss: ADL,CAIR and the Vatican into the pit they belong in.
#28. To: Fred Mertz (#20)
#29. To: Boofer, Fred Mertz (#28)
#30. To: Badeye (#28)
(Edited)
I NEVER posted anyone's picture.
#31. To: Badeye (#28)
(Edited)
Never wrote a review on Amazon (my personal kook favorite btw).
#32. To: Badeye (#26)
And ask somebody to explain how the filter works, cause if you used it correctly you'd never see my posts.
#33. To: Boofer, Skip Intro (#26)
And ask somebody to explain how the filter works
#34. To: war (#33)
#35. To: Fred Mertz (#34)
#36. To: war (#33)
Maybe YOU should ask someone how the English language works. He never claimed to have you on filter.
#37. To: Skip Intro (#36)
(Edited)
... someone may have to ask him a business question.
#38. To: Fred Mertz (#31)
#39. To: Skip Intro (#36)
The poor guy must be exhausted.
#40. To: Skip Intro (#32)
#41. To: Boofer, Fred Mertz (#38)
(Edited)
Pretty sure he left the web after realizing my anti groupie got him banned from multiple political forums.
.
.
.
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]