Tuesday, June 19, 2007

 

Belated Bee Update

For those concerned about the declining honeybee populations, I researched this a few weeks ago and have been meaning to share it. Hope it helps!

regards,
Carl

STATUS OF HONEYBEES
Hi Friends,

Many of you are concerned as I am with the disappearing honeybees problem. Bees are vital for the world’s agriculture, and since last fall many colonies around the world have been abandoned with no explanation ( “colony collapse disorder” or CCD )

Here are some less alarmist details I have collected. Points 3-9 are covered in the May 10 Diane Rehms show about bees, for podcasts/recordings go here: http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/07/05/10.php#13178

1) on the spiritual front, many people have been praying and meditating for the bees. This is nice to know and you’re invited to join in anytime, by visualizing bees and feeling gratitude for their work. May 2 was a big day for this.

2) there has been a quote circulating that Einstein said without the bees mankind has only 4 years to live. He never said this, and the claim is debatable, for details see: http://www.snopes.com/quotes/einstein/bees.asp

3) bees have been in trouble for decades, recently from varroa mites, so further declines are very serious but people are also somewhat prepared. Beekeepers have gotten good at replacing their stocks, and last winter’s losses are already replaced.

4) cellphones are not the problem. Electromagnetic pollution may be a contributing factor to bee stress, but colony collapse disorder is not directly correlated to cellphone regions, and anyway CCD is more recent than cellphones

5) colony collapse disorder is not universal, it has been reported around the world but there are also areas that don’t have it around the world. So it is not a death warrant, and it may be that the bees that are already stressed suffer it the most. Scientists have a lot of contributing factors to sort out.

6) GMO crops are not the problem. I was afraid of this one, since there has been little restraint on corporations designing crops that produce their own insecticides, and they are already widespread in the US. But experts said the GMO “natural” insecticides target worms and do not penetrate the bee gut.

7) colony collapse disorder may be caused by some sort of bacteria. Abandoned hives stay abandoned until they are sterilized with radiation, then bees move back in. This indicates some kind of living disease, and teams are working on the problem around the world.

8) new hardier bees are being bred. There’s a Russian honeybee which grooms itself and others continuously, removing the varroa mites and some other threats. African bees are not desirable in themselves but show disease resistances that may be crossbred.

9) native bees have not been studied as much as the commercial honeybees, but they are also important for pollination and many reports show they are suffering declines as well

So don’t give up hope, as we continue to care about the bees that are nature’s pollinators and indicators of environmental health.

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