Bee Vanishing Act Baffles Keepers

[Forbez 0]

Bee vanishing act baffles keepers

Mark McCoy works with his honey bees on February 15, 2007 in Loxahatchee, Florida Image: Getty

The losses threaten beekeepers' livelihoods

Honeybees are vanishing at an alarming rate from 24 US states, threatening the production of numerous crops.

 

The cause of the losses, which range from 30% to more than 70%, is a mystery, but experts are investigating several theories.

 

American bee colonies have been hit by regional crises before, but keepers say this is the first national crisis.

 

Bees pollinate more than $14bn (£7bn) worth of US seeds and crops each year, mostly fruits, vegetables and nuts.

 

 

Box after box after box are just empty. There's nobody home

David Bradshaw, Beekeeper

 

The mystery disappearances highlight the important link that honeybees play in the chain that brings fruit and vegetables to supermarkets and dinner tables.

 

The crisis threatens numerous crops, from avocados to kiwis and California almonds - one of the most profitable in the US.

 

"I have never seen anything like it," California beekeeper David Bradshaw, 50, told the New York Times.

 

"Box after box after box are just empty. There's nobody home."

 

Under pressure

 

With an industry increasingly under consolidation, some fear the disorder could prove the breaking point for even large beekeepers.

 

The bee losses range from 30 to 60% on the West Coast, with some beekeepers on the East Coast and in Texas reporting losses of more than 70%.

 

Beekeepers consider a loss of up to 20% in the offseason to be normal.

 

Researchers say the bees are presumably dying in the fields, perhaps becoming exhausted or simply disoriented and eventually falling victim to the cold.

 

"The real question is why they leave," Jerry Hayes, a bee expert for the Florida Department of Agriculture told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

 

"Bees are highly social insects. They don't leave their babies and the queen."

 

The investigators are exploring a range of possibilities to explain the losses, which they are calling "colony collapse disorder". These include viruses, a fungus and poor bee nutrition.

 

They are also studying pesticides banned in some European countries to see if they are affecting the bees' innate ability to navigate their way back to their hives.

 

In some cases, bees are being raised to survive a shorter offseason, to be ready to pollinate once the almond bloom begins in February. This could have lowered their immunity to viruses.

 

Mites have also damaged bee colonies, and the insecticides used to try to kill them are harming the ability of queen bees to spawn as many workers.

 

Urban sprawl

 

Once the domain of hobbyists, beekeeping has become increasingly commercial and consolidated in the US.

 

During the last two decades, the number of beehives has dropped by a quarter, and is now estimated at 2.4 million. The number of beekeepers has fallen by half during the same period.

 

Beehive, Getty

Bees are vital for the pollination of important US crops

Pressure has been building on the bee industry. The costs to maintain hives, or colonies, are rising.

 

In addition, urban growth means that the areas where the insects can forage for nectar to stay healthy and strong during the pollination season are being squeezed.

 

"There are less beekeepers, less bees, yet more crops to pollinate," said Zac Browning, vice-president of the American Beekeeping Federation.

 

"With so much added loss and expense due to disease, pests and higher equipment costs, profitability is actually falling."

That was from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6400179.stm

 

What a strange thing to happen. Now I've heard it all.

[t3jem 0]

well, thats odd. I hope they find the problem, we don't need to import more stuff from foreign contries, our deficit is big enough.

[Watermonkey 0]

I hope the ramifications of this are apparent to all: Without the bees, there is no food. I'm completely serious about this. Birds do a small amount of pollinating but bees pollinate more than 90% of crops and without the crops pollinated, there will be no veggies or fruit. There are several theories, as the article said, as to why they're disappearing including pesticides and I'll have to look in to it further and add to this post later. My main message here is this is quite possibly the most important news story of the year or even the decade... This well-researched report for your educational perusal may help in your understanding of the situation.

[salamangkero 0]

I do remember strange (widespread) animal behaviour tend to happen a few days, or even weeks, before a major calamity or natural disaster. I recall a news report when jellyfishes, apparently, attacked the seawater filters of our main power plant, effectively denying electricity to a great part of the metro. A week later, an earthquake ripped through the South China Sea. It appears they have been fleeing before the quake.Similarly, I do think it is possible that the bees might have migrated elsewhere. Something big must've been coming up.Or the aforementioned theories posted by other people; I also agree it is possible

[Forbez 0]

This is another thing they are trying to blame on Global Warming.

[CinnamorollTK 0]

Its the rapture! God has taken the bees away! :lol:Is there a possibility someone is killing the bees or stealing them for no reason? Its strange to see bees dissapearing. Maybe nature is trying to starve us so that we stop taking the homes of so many creatures?

[Watermonkey 0]

This is another thing they are trying to blame on Global Warming.

I heard this morning that it's been confirmed that the bees' disappearance is being blamed on GMO crops. Unfortunately most of the alternate pollinators have been pushed away from crops and bees are actually trucked in to places like tree groves to do the work that, left to its own natural condition, some 4500 other potential pollinators such as wasps and butterflies would take care of. A full third of all the food you and I eat are available due to the bees, a quarter of which are missing. If something isn't done, food prices are going to go straight through the roof. I guess some of you don't give a crap because you don't pay the food bill. You'll feel it too, though. Eventually.