Honey Bees Disappearing!

[Turtle]

... I'm not sure that this is being presented as some "new" problem. I understood the concern to be around the breadth and frequency of the decline, that it's practically epidemic. Is that not the case? Are we concerned unecessarily? :D...

 

The short answer is yes, this is a new proble.m My title is misleading in that the bees are disappearing and it is not known if they are dying off because no one has found corpses in sufficient quantity to say the missing bees have died.

 

The 'new' problem is therefore called 'colony collapse disorder' to clarify that it (the problem) is not mites or fungi or other known bee colony threats. As I recently heard that 40% of the honey bees have disappeared from their colonies in the Western US, I think we have reason for concern. I have heard anecdotally that the usual scavengers that raid abandoned hives for honey & larvae are not raiding the hives. :D :cup: :hihi:

 

PS I agree the cell phone radiation claim is not well substantiated.

[gribbon]

Please see my current sig quote.

 

...and please see mine...:doh: :hihi:

 

 

That's what I thought too, mate. ;)

 

Anyway, now that we've sorted out your childish behaviour, (:doh: ) we'll carry on with the topic. :)

 

*****:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) ******

 

Global warming has also caused a change in the distribution of certain cactuses and poisonous plants that has exposed the honey bees to various nectars that are deleterious to it. Rhododendrons, azaleas, Passiflora, almond, aconites, hellebore, skunk cabbage, golden rain tree, Yellow Jessamine, Aloe littoralis, oleander and Chamaecrista fasciculata are becoming more common, and have nectar/pollen containing alkaloids, anthraquinones, and grayanotoxin which are toxic to bees and humans.

 

The next bit I'm not so sure about, but if I'm right, then the nectar of the Wharangi Bush, Melicope ternata, in New Zealand also produces poisonous honey, which I think did (on several occasions), prove fatal.

 

This can't really compare, though, with the damage that the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin is alleged to do. German scientists showed that it can weaken a bees defence system against Nosema, whereas others have shown it to damage the bee at it's larval stage, though research is still in it's infancy.

 

I'll see if there's anymore info on wikipedia...;)

[InfiniteNow]

Anyway, now that we've sorted out your childish behaviour, (:doh: ) we'll carry on with the topic. :doh:

Hmmm... Okay... I'll let you keep your 59 rep today, but for someone who wants to drop a topic you sure don't know when to shut up.

 

So, you're saying that global warming is changing the plant population, and greater percentage of the plant population now have nectar/pollen toxic to bees? That's just strange. A plant which kills the thing that helps it reproduce. How does something like the get selected for? You inspired me to google "poisonous nectar," and sure enough this is the case. Nobody seems to understand it. I would presume this same nectar is not poisoness to butterflys and/or birds, that perhaps they do the pollenation?

 

Anyway, thanks for bringing new information into my world and prompting me to learn more.

 

In the process, I found a site that brings a lot of data on CCD together. I found interest in the following:

 

Potential effects of gathering pollen and nectar from genetically modified (GM) crops that produce Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin have not been investigated in great detail, but the primary crops involved (corn, and tobacco) are not preferred plants for honey bees (if they visit the plants, they typically do so when there is no other food available; they will gather only pollen from corn, and rarely visit tobacco blossoms). Cotton is highly subject to bee visitation for nectar, but there is little evidence of toxicity of GM cotton, other than that from insecticides used during bloom. Furthermore, the effect of Bt on insects is as a larvicide, whereas the CCD phenomenon involves the disappearance of the adult bees. It is therefore highly unlikely the syndrome is related in any way to GM crops. This focus on Bt is only a known toxin. The somewhat to very random approach of creating GM varieties does not include investigating all the ways in which the variety is affected, so other effects, like poisonous pollen or nectar may not be desired in the creation or even been noted by researchers.

...and also...

Pesticides used on bee forage are far more likely to enter the colony via the pollen stores rather than via nectar (because pollen is carried externally on the bees, while nectar is carried internally, and may kill the bee if too toxic), though not all potentially lethal chemicals, either natural or man-made, affect the adult bees - many primarily affect the brood, but brood die-off does not appear to be happening in CCD. Most signficantly, brood are not fed honey, and adult bees consume very little pollen; accordingly, the pattern in CCD suggests that if contaminants or toxins from the environment are responsible, it is most likely to be via the honey, as it is the adults that are dying (or leaving), not the brood. To date, most of the evaluation of possible roles of pesticides in CCD have relied on the use of surveys submitted by beekeepers, but it seems likely that direct testing of samples from affected colonies will be needed, especially given the possible role of systemic insecticides (which are applied to the soil and taken up into the plant’s tissues, including pollen and nectar), which may be applied to a crop when the beekeeper is not present. No detailed studies of toxicity or pesticide residue in remaining honey or pollen in failed colonies are yet published, however.

Above from: Bee Colony Collapse Disorder

[quaien]

"Honeybees Disappearing!" Hooray!!!

 

I hate those buzzy little m*th#rf%ck#rs. Allergy to them runs in my family and I have been stung twice and the next time will be fatal. They killed both my parents. My sister lives half the year in Tucson where the killer bees are a plague. I have to pay $150 for an office vistit to a so-called 'doctor' to get permission to buy a syringe of epinephrine to carry when I leave the house. I cannot use shampoo which makes my hair smell like a flower to those retarded insects.

 

I dismiss the hand-wringing of the whiners who worry about pollination of crops. The unemployment rate is 4%. There are still millions of welfare mothers with time on their hands. Let them pollinate the apple blossoms and so forth.

 

Honeybees Disappearing?

 

This is proof that global warming can only be a good thing.

[Queso]

I like honey

it soothes my throat.

Bee's sting

but they make beautiful geometrical homes

in the trees.

And what gem would the Bear have

other than my head?

[InfiniteNow]

I dismiss the hand-wringing of the whiners who worry about pollination of crops.

Doesn't matter how much you do or don't whine, you still need to eat. I'd say your personal frustration with being stung a few times and having the unfortunate genetics of allergies as a motivator for wishing them all dead is a bit short-sited.

 

What is pollination?

It is estimated that 65% of all flowering plants and some seed plants (e.g. cycads and pines) require insects for pollination. This percentage is even greater for economically important crops that provide fruits, vegetables, textile-related fibres and medicinal products.

 

 

The unemployment rate is 4%. There are still millions of welfare mothers with time on their hands. Let them pollinate the apple blossoms and so forth.

By what method do you propose they do this at the scale necessary to maintian the crops and the base of the food chain as a whole?

[quaien]

...By what method do you propose they do this at the scale necessary to maintian the crops and the base of the food chain as a whole?

 

Well, I guess you have a good point there, InfiniteNow. But do we really need all those flowering crops? And do potatoes, for example, have to be pollinated? Or wheat? Or onions? And so on? Are you telling me that onions have flowers? I have never seen your so-called 'onion flowers'.

 

And it isn't just bees that pollinate. Couldn't we begin some program now to breed more hummingbirds and butterflies to take up the slack as those m%th#rf&ck*ng bees die off and finally disappear entirely (I hope)?

 

I like hummingbirds and butterflies. And ladybugs are very smart for insects, couldn't they be trained to pollinate? How hard can it be anyway?

 

Between the hummingbirds, the harmless non-stinging insects, and the welfare mothers, we should be able to get the important crops pollinated easily. To hell with the others.

[Turtle]

Well, I guess you have a good point there, InfiniteNow. But do we really need all those flowering crops? And do potatoes, for example, have to be pollinated? Or wheat? Or onions? And so on? Are you telling me that onions have flowers? I have never seen your so-called 'onion flowers'.

 

And it isn't just bees that pollinate. Couldn't we begin some program now to breed more hummingbirds and butterflies to take up the slack as those m%th#rf&ck*ng bees die off and finally disappear entirely (I hope)?

 

I like hummingbirds and butterflies. And ladybugs are very smart for insects, couldn't they be trained to pollinate? How hard can it be anyway?

 

Between the hummingbirds, the harmless non-stinging insects, and the welfare mothers, we should be able to get the important crops pollinated easily. To hell with the others.

 

Any humor in your rant against bees has expired, and I suggest you read some of the links given in this thread for some factual information on the value of honey bees to humans and nature alike.

 

I too have to get a prescription for an Epi-pen, but for nut allegies. Boo hoo. :( Poor me. :camera: It would be ridiculous to suggest we get rid of all nuts for the sake of me and those others with my allergy. Suck it up; life's a b***h. :) :hihi:

 

PS Some people pay to have honey bees sting them. >>> Discovery Health :: Bee Sting Therapy: Healing from the Hive

[quaien]

Any humor in your rant against bees has expired, and I suggest you read some of the links given in this thread for some factual information on the value of honey bees to humans and nature alike.

 

I too have to get a prescription for an Epi-pen, but for nut allegies. Boo hoo. :( Poor me. :camera: It would be ridiculous to suggest we get rid of all nuts for the sake of me and those others with my allergy. Suck it up; life's a b***h. :) :hihi:

 

You have some good points, I will admit. But one big difference between nuts and bees is that nuts don't attack you out of nowhere while you are walking down the street minding your own business. Or if they do, it's rarely fatal.

 

Bees kill more people in the US than poison snakes and spiders combined. You choose to take my animosity against bees as a personal attack on you? I understand that you don't give a d*mn about those people who die because of your love of vicious stinging insects. Well so be it. Speaking of "factual information": How many people die as a result of unprovoked attacks from pecans and goobers? Any idea?

[Queso]

O I know the answer!!! Pick me!!

 

The answer is...

 

"Enough"

 

Enough people die from pecans and goobers.

 

The ones who die, had to die. They were too stupid to not die.

 

Population control.

 

Numbers are irrelevent when it comes to down to the game.

[Turtle]

You have some good points, I will admit. But one big difference between nuts and bees is that nuts don't attack you out of nowhere while you are walking down the street minding your own business. Or if they do, it's rarely fatal.

 

Bees kill more people in the US than poison snakes and spiders combined. You choose to take my animosity against bees as a personal attack on you? I understand that you don't give a d*mn about those people who die because of your love of vicious stinging insects. Well so be it. Speaking of "factual information": How many people die as a result of unprovoked attacks from pecans and goobers? Any idea?

 

 

Well, according to this article, nut allergies kill more children than do bee stings. Most nut poisonings are accidental & unprovoked attacks by well meaning people.

Anthony, now 10, is one of around 1% of American children who suffer from a peanut allergy. About 3 million Americans—children and adults—suffer from peanut allergies. Of the approximately 150 children who die every year from food allergy reactions, 100 of those are attributed to peanuts. That’s twice the number that die from bee stings every year, but it’s still a tiny portion of the American population. For children like Anthony, however, a peanut allergy is a deadly condition. He could easily be one of the 100 who die every year from something that is considered a staple in the American diet....

When peanuts are poison

 

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I care enough to advise people take the proper measures to protect themselves, as with any known medical condition. :shrug:

[Buffy]

This morning's SF Comical has an article with a new theory from a scientist at the University of California, San Francisco:

Tests of genetic material taken from a "collapsed colony" in Merced County point to a once-rare microbe that previously affected only Asian bees but might have evolved into a strain lethal to those in Europe and the United States, biochemist Joe DeRisi said Wednesday.

 

DeRisi said tests conducted on material from dead bees at his Mission Bay lab found genes of the single-celled, spore-producing parasite Nosema ceranae, which researchers in Spain have recently shown is capable of wiping out a beehive.

 

"It is wise to strike a conservative note, because this is early data, but it is interesting,'' he said.

You can read the rest of the article here.

 

Not as much fun as the conspiracy theories, but its good to see some progress!

 

Bees and spiders, a love-hate relationship,

Buffy

[gribbon]

So, you're saying that global warming is changing the plant population, and greater percentage of the plant population now have nectar/pollen toxic to bees? That's just strange.

 

Hmmm…

 

To begin with, may I just say that upon inspecting Wikipedia, I found there is some information, which fits with exactly what I said.

 

Colony Collapse Disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Global warming and increased Carbon levels doesn’t just change the temperature. It has been known for quite some time that growth patterns in plants are changed, and even migration routes for insects.

 

A plant which kills the thing that helps it reproduce. How does something like the (sic) get selected for?

 

As you later suggested, the nectar and pollen is only dangerous to certain insects and certain creatures. The plant has a whole range of insects to be pollinated by, and bees, being the most nectar thirsty of all insects, are not favoured. They drink to much. That’s why certain plants hate them.

[Turtle]

I went & found the page of the lady I first heard reporting on the disappearing bees. I added her page link to first post and here below. She has a top banner on the topic today and will post the report soon.

 

Linda Moulton Howe >>> Earthfiles.com

 

Honey bees have been disappearing since Fall 2006,

first reported in 24 American states. Now called Colony Collapse Disorder,

it's a spreading phenomenon in Canada, Europe,

China, Taiwan, Guatemala and Brazil.

 

PS Found a previous report by Linda Howe which includes an interview with an apiarist. >>> Earthfiles.com

[Turtle]

Now Taiwan is affected by the loss of honey bees.

 

...A beekeeper on Taiwan's northeastern coast reported 6 million insects missing "for no reason," and one in the south said 80 of his 200 bee boxes had been emptied, the paper said....

 

Taiwan stung by millions of missing bees | Science & Health | Reuters

 

Also, a report out of California is suggesting a virus is to blame. >>

 

A UCSF researcher who found the SARS virus in 2003 and later won a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" for his work thinks he has discovered a culprit in the alarming deaths of honeybees across the United States.

 

Tests of genetic material taken from a "collapsed colony" in Merced County point to a once-rare microbe that previously affected only Asian bees but might have evolved into a strain lethal to those in Europe and the United States, biochemist Joe DeRisi said Wednesday. ...

 

With a mounting sense of urgency, agricultural scientists are trying to find out just what has caused the disappearance of as much as a quarter of the nation's 2.4 million honeybee colonies since November, when the die-off was first observed by a Pennsylvania beekeeper.

 

It's not just bad news for beekeepers and honey lovers. Growers of fruits, nuts and many vegetables rely on honeybees to pollinate their crops, which contribute $15 billion to the nation's agricultural output, according to a Cornell University study. ...

 

Full article >>> UCSF scientist tracks down suspect in honeybee deaths

 

So it goes. :turtle:

[Michaelangelica]

ISIS Press Release 26/04/07

Mystery of Disappearing Honeybees

For some time now, honeybees have been disappearing from farmers’ hives

without a trace. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho and Prof. Joe Cummins on the trail of

possible culprits …

 

 

An electronic version of this report, or any other ISIS report, with

full references, can be sent to you via e-mail for a donation of £3.50.

Please e-mail the title of the report to: [email protected]

Honeybees vanishing worldwide

The first alarm was sounded in autumn 2006. Honeybees are disappearing

across the United States, with half of the States affected and beekeeper

losing 30 to 90 percent of colonies; one beekeeper with 1 200 colonies

expected 9 to survive the winter [1]. The problem began more than two

years ago and has intensified in recent months [1-5]. The bees simply

vanish relatively suddenly, with little or no dead adults in or near the

colonies, leaving behind the queen and a few young. In cases where the

colony appears to be actively collapsing the workforce seems to be made

up of young adult bees, insufficient to feed the brood, but are

reluctant to consume provided feed [5]. This “colony collapse disorder”

(CCD) is particularly devastating for growers of fruits and vegetables,

as they depend on insect pollinators.

 

Since then, CCD has been reported from Germany, Switzerland, Spain,

Portugal, Italy, Greece, and the UK [6], where one of the biggest

beekeepers lost 23 of his 40 hives. But the Department of the

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that “there is

absolutely no evidence” of CCD in the UK.

 

CCD has baffled scientists, because no one knows what causes it [5], and

ongoing efforts are being made to identify possible pathogens in the

bees and chemical residues in pollen, honey and bees. Viruses, fungal

diseases, parasitic mites, pesticides, or chemical designed to control

mites have considered by the authorities [7], as have GM crops [8-9],

and mobile phones [10] (Mobile Phones and Vanishing Bees, this series).

So how good is the evidence for the different suspects?

 

Extent and causes of decline both unknown

The United States National Research Council Committee on the Status of

Pollinators in North America published its report [7] in October 2006.

But the report was rather thin on data and information as to the precise

extent of the decline in honeybees or its causes.

 

The report discussed introduced parasitic mites, and the bacterial

pathogen that causes foul brood disease in detail, as there is extensive

scientific literature. But it barely touched on pesticides or GM crops,

and did not mention mobile phones at all.

 

Mites infestations

The introduced parasitic mites, Varroa destructor and Acarapis woodi,

began to cause infestation since the late 1980s, and mite infestation

became established in the US within a decade. Varroa destructor, an

external parasite of the honeybee, has caused dramatic declines in

honeybees in North America and throughout the world. During the winter

of 1995-1996, northern US beekeepers experienced their largest losses in

history; some states lost 30 to 80 percent of their colonies. These

losses have occurred despite heavy used of pesticides to control mite

populations. Pesticide resistance has become widespread and many

beekeepers are no longer able to use the few registered pesticides for

controlling Varroa.

 

The tracheal mite Acarapis woodi is an internal parasite of the

honeybee. It was first detected in the US in 1984, and initially caused

serious damage to colonies, but there appears to be heritable resistance

to the mite.

 

Parasitic mites cannot explain colony collapse disorder as there is no

evidence that mite infestation is directly involved, although it may

contribute indirectly by reducing the immunity of the bees to infections

by viruses, bacteria and fungi (see below).

 

Foul brood disease

Paenibacillus larvae is the most serious pathogen of honeybees. It

causes American Foul Brood disease (AFB), a disease of the honeybee

larvae. It is highly virulent and easily spread among colonies, and

generally fatal if untreated. During the first half of the last century,

AFB was the most serious threat to beekeeping, and caused tremendous

loss of colonies. The incidence of AFB was reduced dramatically by the

introduction of antibiotics, and by state inspection programme that

required the burning of infected hives. However AFB spores are

refractory to antibiotics and can persist on contaminated equipment for

more than 80 years. Treatment of colonies with active cases of AFB

eliminates disease symptoms, but withdrawal of antibiotics is generally

followed by disease recurrence. Resistance to antibiotics has also

become widespread since 1994.

 

As in the case of parasitic mites, foul brood disease is not associated

with colony collapse disorder.

 

Pesticides

The use of pesticides, especially insecticides on crops, is known to

kill or weaken thousands of honeybee colonies in the US each year, and

local bee kills have occurred sporadically for decades. However, the NAS

report considered it unlikely that this has “contributed significantly”

to the recent decline. The report stated [7, p. 79]: “Most

pesticide-caused honey bee kills are the result of accidents, careless

application, or failure to adhere to label recommendations and

warnings.” It has obviously ignored sub-lethal effects, particularly of

new pesticides that may turn out to be one of the most significant

single factors contributing to the current honeybee decline (see later).

 

Parasites reduce bee immunity

Varroa mites infestation reduces the immune response of the bees,

causing them to be prone to infection with virus, bacteria or fungi [11,

12]. A number of viral diseases are enhanced in the parasite-infested

bee colony, particularly the deformed wing virus disease that causes

crippling deformity in the bees [13]. Multiple viruses frequently infect

bees attacked by Varroa parasite. These viruses are spread not only by

the parasite, but also vertically from queen to brood [14, 15]. The

parasite-infested colonies are frequently treated with a pyrethroid

insecticide, fluvalinate, but the parasite has grown resistant to the

insecticide [16], and the insecticide may adversely influence the

behaviour of the honeybee (see below). Honeybees have 17 gene families

involved in immunity [17], roughly one-third the number of immunity

genes in Drosophila and Anopheles mosquitoes. Honeybees seem to have

limited immune flexibility, which may make them more sensitive to

devastating pathogens.

 

Pesticides disrupts bee behaviour at sublethal levels

Numerous pesticides have been found to disrupt bee behaviour following

sub-lethal exposures [18]. A wide array of pesticides including

fluvalinate (the chemical used to treat hives to eliminate parasites)

disrupted the behaviour of honeybees leading to feeding and navigation

problems [19]. Bees suffering from sub-lethal pesticide intoxication

resembled the behaviour of bees described by observers of the colony

collapse disorder. Sub-lethal doses of fipronil (a veterinary

insecticide) impaired the olfactory memory process of honeybees [20].

Spinosad, a prominent and much used natural insecticide fed to bumble

bees in pollen slowed down their foraging behaviour while a higher dose

of the insecticide caused colony death within two to four weeks [21].

See Requiem for the Honeybee [22] for more evidence that sub-lethal

effects of pesticides may be the single most important factor

contributing to disappearing honeybees.

 

Genetically modified (GM) crops may have sub-lethal effects on bees

The possibility that GM crops in North America is contributing to the

decline in honeybees was given little consideration by the NRC Committee

[7] even though the timing of the honeybee decline appears to coincide

with the widespread deployment of GM crops. GM crops are engineered to

tolerate herbicides, especially gyphosate, or to contain biopesticides

(the Bt Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis), or both. The

biopesticide toxins produced in Bt crops are not highly or acutely toxic

to bees, but are toxic to butterflies, moths and beetles. Nevertheless,

in some instances, the toxins can kill bees or modify their behaviour.

 

The Bt toxin Cry1Ab caused reduced foraging activity in bees after they

were fed with syrup containing the toxin. However, the Bt toxin produced

less pronounced impacts on bee behaviour than the chemical pesticides

deltamethrin or imidacloprid [23]. Bt bacteria caused mortality in bees

when fed in broth cultures or sugar solutions [24]. A number of purified

Bt Cry toxins have been studied in the laboratory to determine their

toxicity to honey bees and bumble bees. For the most part, those studies

showed little threat from the Cry toxins. But sub-lethal effects on the

bees were not recorded in those experiments [25].

 

In a series of experiments in Jena, Germany, bees were found not to be

affected when fed on a diet of pollen doped with 100 times the

concentration of toxin found in the Bt maize pollen; and feeding trials

on larvae also showed no effects. In the field, bee colonies in flight

tents were fed with Bt maize pollen to which a 10-fold concentration of

Bt toxin had been added. Again, no negative effects were detected. But a

chance infestation by the parasite microsporidia resulted in

significantly more damage to the Bt-fed colonies compared with controls

[26]. Another limitation of the experiments so far is that they were

carried out with toxins derived from bacteria, not transgenic toxin

derived from the Bt crops, which are known to have very different

properties, as we have pointed out repeatedly, most recently in GM Maize

59122 Not Safe [27] (SiS 34).

 

Transgenic glyphosate-tolerant canola pollen was reported to pose no

threat to honeybees [28]. However, when organic, conventional, and

herbicide-tolerant canola were compared with regard to pollination by

wild bees in Alberta, Canada, the herbicide tolerant canola plots had

the greatest pollination deficit, while conventional and organic plots

were equally well served by the wild bees [29].

 

Clearly, the existing evidence calls for much fuller investigations on

the sub-lethal impacts of GM crops on bees, such as learning and feeding

behaviour, and immunity to disease. The potential consequences of

pollinator decline on food crops can be staggering, and the impact on

biodiversity may be irreversible [30].

 

Mobile phones and bee decline

There has been widespread report in the mainstream media that mobile

phones may be responsible for the decline of honeybees [for example, 6,

31]. The results are indeed startling. For details see Mobile Phones and

Vanishing Bees [10], and should be considered in the context of the

increasingly clear evidence that weak radiation from mobile phones and

base stations do have harmful effects on the health of human beings and

wildlife [32] (Drowning in the Sea of Microwaves, SiS 34).

 

The mystery remains

The mystery of disappearing honeybees is far from solved. The greatest

suspects so far are pesticides and radiation from mobile phone base

stations. However, it is likely that sub-lethal effects due to GM crops,

mites infestations and other factors which alter the bees’ behaviour,

affect their memory and learning process or compromise their health and

immunity will all have a role to play.

 

Honeybees may be our most sensitive indicator species for all the

environmental pollution and dangerous technologies we perpetrate. When

honeybees disappear, we too, shall follow shortly.

 

 

 

Mystery of d

 

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[Guest Lambus]

What would actually happen to humans if all the honey bees became extinct?