Another disastrous year for the bees

[SpiralHawk]

The world may be on the brink of biological disaster after news that a third of US bee colonies did not survive the winter

* Alison Benjamin
* The Observer, Sunday 2 May 2010


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.

(snip) http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/02/food-fear-mystery-beehives-collapse

Corporate-industrial ag (R) run amuck in search of massive profits: neonicitinoids & GMOs - you betcha.

[SpiralHawk]

1. Forensic evidence

from the story:

"...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..."

[Kablooie]

2. Here's another factor indicating the 2012 rumors may be true.

[SpiralHawk]

5. 2012 rumors?

If you are referring to the Mayan calendar, then there is a body of knowledge: the teachings of the traditional elders on this subject. And then there is also the sensationalistic, fear-mongering profiteering 'speculation' of others, including Hollywood. Perhaps that speculation constitutes the 'rumors' you refer to?

[Kablooie]

8. Oh it's indubitably true. I heard it on the History Channel.

[glowing]

3. Thank God they seem in abundance around my gardens this year.

More than in previous. I was glad to see them.

[Delphinus]

4. Indiana here.

Haven't seen anything yet, but am definitely keeping a close eye.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

6. Last year was the most honey bees that I've seen around here (central PA) in years.

I had so many on the Russian Sage alone that it gave me hope for the future.

We'll see what this year brings once there are more flowers blooming.
GMO foods, Monsanto in general, pesticides everywhere..... The little buzzers are going to need a lot of help I'm afraid.

On top of that, the "white nose" syndrome in bats has worked its' way to this area.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10024/1030370-140.stm


We have one of the best venues for viewing bats a few miles from here and a large concentration of bats that could be wiped out if this hits them.



Bat Viewing: The Frank Felbaum Bat Sanctuary is one of the largest nursery colonies of little brown bats in Pennsylvania. On warm summer evenings, visitors attend bat programs and watch the exit of the bats. A deep limestone mine is a hibernaculum (where animals hibernate) for almost 30,000 bats of six species, including the federally endangered Indiana bat.

[druidity33]

7. live in the Northeast

in a large rural farming town. I know 2 beekeepers, and though they are worried about CCD, it appears that small producers seem much less affected. Both friends related they have not lost any hives to CCD (and didn't know of anyone else in their community either) and are more concerned with mites. Most of their hives however are placed in local small-scale farm operations... which means no mono-croppers, few pesticides (if any) and no onerous hive transportation.

It's anecdotal, true, but in my area Small scale producers are cautiously optimistic that they can maintain the integrity of their hives. I don't know any Large producers and am unfamiliar with any in the area, so i can't say to what extent they are affected.

:shrug:

[zbiker]

9. sounds a little fishy

at least on our end, stateside forums seem to be applauding the drop in ccd, with most of the credit seems to be going to small cell regression as the reason for the drop in both mite and colony collapse.
i guess whatever you want to do to try to blame " corporate and industrial ag" for trying to make a buck and keep the world fed at the same time is ok, as long as you don't forget where your dinner comes from.
try to keep in mind as well that part of the decline in managed hives in the u.s. is not from disease or pests, it's from an aging beekeeping population, who either retire from beekeeping or find it unprofitable any longer from cheap import honey from overseas.
no one can simply say agro business is why ccd wipes out a hive. you said it best yourself when you wrote this quote :
"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."

just another humble beekeeper