Where are The Bees?

[toronto_bill 0]

Here is an article I saw...

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070329/bees_ccd_070329/20070329/%CA

Basically, bees are disappearing in North America. But they can't find the bodies of any dead bees...so where did they go?

Then I read this....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6701517.stm

Aha ! Of course you cant find a bee after it is blown up by a land mine.

You can all relax....I solved it.

Bill

[nathaniel 0]

Must be aliens

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[peregrinerose 0]

From what I have read, the leading theory is that a widely used insecticide is causing the problem (imagine that, an insecticide killing bugs!).

In high doses it kills the bees, in low doses it screws up their directionality system so they can't make the mental maps of where their hive and food sources are, they basically get lost.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[rehmwa 2]

Where did you last see them? Maybe you misplaced them.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 2,150]

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Where did you last see them? Maybe you misplaced them.

This is a serious problem for US agriculture, since bees do the bulk of crop pollination.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[philh 0]

"the leading theory is that a widely used insecticide is causing the problem (imagine that, an insecticide killing bugs!). "

How is this the leading theory?Sounds like perfect time for the quack pseudo scientists to give us their pet theories without real evidence.

this is what Science magazine had to say:
Little consensus about the cause of CCD emerged at the meeting, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Beltsville, Maryland, convened. It could be a variety of factors, notes Jeffery Pettis of the USDA bee lab in Beltsville, Maryland: “At this point, we’re proceeding not knowing which causes might be more important.” In fact, given that there are so few data on the health of domesticated honey bees–and even fewer on wild populations–many scientists aren’t even convinced yet that what’s going on is really a new phenomenon.





Last I heard was this:


"So this is a real issue but we have not identified exactly what is involved - some beekeeprs have not been affected but others like the University and this larger Delmarva beekeeper have been seriously impacted. We are working on determining solutions but have not found what is negatively affecting our bees as of yet."
Dewey Caron, Professor of Entomology, Univerisyt of Deleware

[narcimund 0]

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This is a serious problem for US agriculture, since bees do the bulk of crop pollination.

Look on the bright side! If US agriculture collapses, the illegal aliens will all go back to mexico.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[peregrinerose 0]

Here are a couple of references. If you do a google search with imidacloprid and bee colony collapse, you'll find quite a lot on it.




http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~vegnet/news/currentvn05-07.htm

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

http://www.bbka.org.uk/articles/imidacloprid.php

http://www.bulletinofinsectology.org/pdfarticles/vol56-2003-063-067bortolotti.pdf

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[philh 0]

I just checked out your first link and wonder wehther you yourself read them, heres the text form your own link:

"Many studies have been conducted beginning around 1998 to determine if imidacloprid is related to the bee population decrease and subsequent decline in honey production. However, after much testing, there is no definite data to show that this material is harmful to bees, or related to the bee loss. Tests designed to show that bees lose their orientation and cannot function normally have been inconclusive, and tests designed to test bee kill have had contradicting results. Imidacloprid is sold in nearly 70 countries, and many of these areas report no bee losses."

thats pretty much repeated in your second link , Wikipedia comented on the commision which inestigated the issue and stated
"The commission concluded that it had no serious indicators suggesting Imidacloprid might be dangerous to bees."

[livendive 8]

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From what I have read, the leading theory is that a widely used insecticide is causing the problem (imagine that, an insecticide killing bugs!).

I read that it was a parasite of some sort. I don't suppose anyone really knows yet, but hopefully it gets figured out before it gets bad.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[peregrinerose 0]

Yep, I read them. If you read through all of them, it seems to be a dose dependent thing, particularly the research article that I attached on there.

I never said it was the cause, or the only cause. I'm not an entymologist... I just live in a rural area where this is a very big deal so it's constantly in the papers and news out here.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[jakee 1,596]

Quote

Quote

From what I have read, the leading theory is that a widely used insecticide is causing the problem (imagine that, an insecticide killing bugs!).

I read that it was a parasite of some sort. I don't suppose anyone really knows yet, but hopefully it gets figured out before it gets bad.

Varroa mites certainly have the capability of wiping out whole hives of bees, we lost ours to them about 10 years ago. I think they can be largely controlled by pesticides though, the current decline sounds like it is part of a larger problem.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

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Where did you last see them? Maybe you misplaced them.

This is a serious problem for US agriculture, since bees do the bulk of crop pollination.

then toronto-bill shouldn't have lost them

maybe they are in his car

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[jakee 1,596]

Quote

Quote

Quote

Where did you last see them? Maybe you misplaced them.

This is a serious problem for US agriculture, since bees do the bulk of crop pollination.

then toronto-bill shouldn't have lost them

maybe they are in his car

Bees die in hot cars.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

Where did you last see them? Maybe you misplaced them.

This is a serious problem for US agriculture, since bees do the bulk of crop pollination.

then toronto-bill shouldn't have lost them

maybe they are in his car

Bees die in hot cars.

damn global warming, it causes hot cars

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[philh 0]

"it seems to be a dose dependent thing"
All toxins are dose dependant. Everythign is toxis at a certain level, even too much water will kill you. So the claim that its dose dependent is irrelevant.

" never said it was the cause, or the only cause."
You said you had read it was the leading candidate. What you have red is not correct. Entymologists dont know what the casue is. As I said its a gr8 oppurtunity for pseudo scientist to blame their pet peeve, wi fi, pesticides, GM foods whatever. So far no one knows.

[jumpinfarmer 0]

I read it was too many radio frequencies in the air that are very close to the ones they naturally produce to home in on there hives. So maybe it's our cell phones that are the trouble

[philh 0]

I read the bees have advance warning of of an alien invasion and are leaving the Earth on their spaceships