Colony Collapse Disorder, 2 year research results

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id...home_and_afield

With a couple years of ongoing research in, we have data that at least at the outset, indicates that the multiple pesticide theory is the winner. In addition to the dozens of chemicals used, many of them miticides applied to the hive, the synergy between some of these chemicals, and especially some of the chemicals that the parent spray breaks down to, are more damaging yet. CCD is expected to continue at a very damaging rate.

Except these mite killing chemicals have presumably been used to stop CCD.

Which means that it's not likely that they were what started the rash of CCDs.

Arthur

Here's an experiment to gauge miticide relationship to CCD
http://www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/213332.html

Miticides are used to combat the varroa mite especially, which is a very resilient and constantly self-immunizing organism. Varroa was being combatted long before CCD arose in the present intensity. We first became aware of them in the U.S. in the late 1980's, although they were known in Asia in the 1960's.

http://interests.caes.uga.edu/insectlab/population.html

The main focus is on the combined efforts of several applied miticides/pesticides/herbacides that are killing the hives. It seems the mite itself should be a factor since the bee is being weakened by it.

A n article just out today provides some worrisome info unfortunately.

"Bees in more trouble than ever after bad winter"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...xSxWQAD9EKRMRG2

Hey can't someone tag the Bees with a tiny GPS device and see where the bodies end up and maybe that would shine some light as to why the bees don't come back to their hive!

The honeybee can not live a solitary life. Whether they become disoriented or, sensing death, fly off to die, that is the end. Where they make their last flight to is currently deemed unimportant. Why they do it is of utmost importance.

CCD is not new. Only the name is. Looking back at records, researchers have found this condition arising periodically.

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/onl...ng-bees?page=14

But the current episode has been unprecedented. One fear is that the next one may then create an untenable situation, at least for a few years. Pollination is crucial to agriculture. But if heavy amounts of pesticides/fungicides/herbicides/miticides are too, we need to find a compromise that works, and fast.

Perhaps one way is to specifically target one aspect of CCD that we have a good handle on, going by the premise that if CCD is the result of several unrelated agents working in conjunction, thereby overwhelming the bee's natural immune system, if we can then knock one of the agents almost completely out of the stew, it may be just enough to allow the bees' natural defenses to hold.

Thanks for your help!

"Fears for crops as shock figures from America show scale of bee catastrophe

The world may be on the brink of biological disaster after news that a third of US bee colonies did not survive the winter"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010...ehives-collapse

I think the Guardian is a bit hyperbolic with their quotes, but having said that I hope I'm right. Either way, 33.8% nationwide average loss is not good. There are numbers close to that in several fruit/vegetable/nut producing countries.

The exception to the rule in this are the organic bee colonies. They haven't received much mention, but earlier on, it was noticed that the organic hives weren't affected by CCD. An organic hive is in an area that is a large enough organically maintained farm that it's within the bee's adventures.
This would indicate that of the three current suspects in the brew, the pesticide imidacloprid could be playing the biggest role. Fortunately it's the one variable of the three we have control over. We'll see if the experts think it's worth a try to temporarily ban it's use; complicated though that attempt would be.

This isn't getting much press now but come fall it might.

Looked up organic bees. The last article was in 2007.

Any current info?

Here's one; perhaps controversial:
http://www.informationliberation.com/index.php?id=21912

But here's something I had no idea of, and contrary to all that I have read, this outfit says bumblebees are more efficient than honeybees. this isn't spam, as i know nothing about this company, but for pure curiosity:

http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/Bum...cts-pollinators

Jump to 2012:

A New Threat to Honey Bees, the Parasitic Phorid Fly Apocephalus borealis

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%...al.pone.0029639

afaik, this is the first paper thal links directly the 'hive abandonment' of the bee and a specific source. This article names this fly as the specific source. Most unfortunately, this fly also attacks bumblebees, heretofore uninvolved in Colony Collapse Disorder, and being used as able substitutes for honeybee pollination.

This is the abstract; I hope it's linkable.

2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide as a Culprit in Declining Bee Colonies

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/...udies-find.html

Brand new info.

Good stuff - so many theories - could bees become extinct?

Another informative article on the topic
Pesticides hit queen bee numbers
By Richard Black

Environment correspondent, BBC News


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17535769

Theres a pesticide called Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) that became popular in the early 80s because it was considered to be safe for humans and was used in many cases because of pressure from environmental groups.
It has been found to be extremely toxic to insects such as bees.
BT was used in the forestry industry to control Gipsy moth out breaks.
The other pesticide more commonly used was Seven but was considered dangerous for humans.
I remember when they did aerial spraying using (Seven) people were told to stay indoors.
Thats why (BT) became popular evan though it is more expensive.
I think there evan producing genetically altered plants that contain (BT)
There's a lot of info on the web about (BT)

Fυcking idiot troll.

There are people who can read and reason and research the *** you post.

Most of those people aren't here to be amused by your drooling. To their credit.