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[BubbleCat]

Bees disappear

2 Likes Sunshine and growinghealthy like this.

[sporehead]

Thank you

[MadPlanter]

For some reason the link tells me the site is down. What was it? GMOs? Modern agriculture practices?

[BubbleCat]

Basically the later, the mass deployment of pesticides that are said to not hurt bees ... hurt bees in the end... who would have guessed

I checked, my link does so too right now. Well maybe one day we will see if this is the last word or its other problems or the combination of many issues ... but I always have a hard time when they dump any kind of poisons anywhere and claim "this will exclusively hurt our target (whos vitality basically relies on the same principles as everyone elses).

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/study-strengthens-link-between-neonicotinoids-and-collapse-of-honey-bee-colonies/

2 Likes fairdinkumseeds and Mangrove like this.

[nobody]

Link to the PubMed PDF for this study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3250423/pdf/pone.0029268.pdf



nobody

[berserkerofoden]

I just read the article from the original lin k.
good to go

[jjdude96]

i just shared your link with all my friends thank you!!!!

[Psylocke]

I used to swear by imidicloprid as a general purpose systemic. Now I mostly use it only indoors for controlling fungus gnats. Kind of a shame. It's a great insecticide, except for the taking us to the brink of destruction part.

[geezer]

whenever these stories are written they are always about the bees and never mention bees wax

as I understand bees and wax they constantly recycle the wax and even steal it from other hives when the robbing goes on and when some circumstance of the colony failing leaves wax subject to theft.

also as I understand things toxins find their way into wax and concentrate over time

why not a situation where poisons of sub lethal doses concentrate into the wax until they do become lethal - and the hive collapses?

I'd be surprised that scientists have not looked at this but I've never seen it addressed in anything I've had time to read

[Kamadeva]

There is hope!! Paul Stemets has a plan.

http://fantasticfungi.com/paul-stamets-save-the-bees/

He starts talking about the bees about 10 minutes in, but the whole video is worth a watch!

[BubbleCat]

I've been having a conversation this weekend with someone who seems knowledgeable about bees (many in my area are). I must note they are knowledgeable about the european honey bee, not wild bees or other honey bees that may be less understood and researched and actually my first concern along with other wild insects.

The theory above was dismissed by the person, claiming bees steal or recycle only food. The wax is produced by bees in early stages of development before they become airborne. This would means acquiring wax from anywhere is impossible for them, consequently they produce all themselves. That is what I have been told but I have bo idea which is right. I've also been told that the tests to determine if sth. is 'bee safe' are way too short of a period to be conclusive. Basically if its not insta-kill its 'safe' ... as safe as a high daily dose of radiation :/

I want to add tho that wax is fatty so all fat soluble poison (like many of those used) will have a strong tendency towards the wax. Most species are most vulnerable during early stages of development and the bee been born in the wax would mean it indeed is one of the major problems. 

[Solipsis]

Monsanto Bayer should be sued by a global nature agency for billions and the fine money ought to be used to try and save what we can.

I'm not a beekeeper but yesterday I spoke to one who is working with bees to develop some kind of air therapy (for asthma etc i believe)... I offered to look into working together so that I can grow and supply tinder mushroom extract based on the research Stamets advocates (will be more cautious with the Metarhizum).

But yeah that's such a shame.. verroa mites don't seem to be a the main contributor to colony collapse now, no... neonicotinoid bans in the EU are planned for next year but it's gonna be a bit f***ing late isn't it

[geezer]

re: toxins in wax - I'm not the expert either but spend some time thinking about this

the toxins could be carried in on the pollen, the trees having been sprayed with something would necessarily have it on the flowers ergo pollen, which the bees then pack into the wax cells MAYBE over time would accumulate in the wax

The fact that the bees eat the pollen would suggest that lethal doses are likelier that way - if at all -

re: collapse disorder in general - my new hypothesis is that the commercial/industrial use and treatment of the bees is its' own worse enemy. Trucking bees thousands of miles has to be a major stressor on the bees. When they arrive at the new destination, possibly a place with pests and diseases they are not prepared for might be an incubator for diseases and the transmission thereof. Bees have to be intermixing with bees of other hives from other states etc which would be like putting your kid in school - which are major disease factories.

add to that the chemical treatments of diseases and you've done an awful lot of stressing to the bees. Add enough stressors and a black swan event could easily take down a hive, or thousands of hives exposed to the same set of precursor stresses.

OR

I'm full of excrement. All things are possible 

[geezer]

I don't think people include dead hives from varroa mites in the collapse disorder mystery.

Mites are a very well known problem and there's plenty of evidence when a hive goes down to mites.  Ergo - no mystery