A rather large bee problem
Offline The first article I read was dated Apr 1, so I thought it was a joke. But then I saw a second article dated Mar 30, so it suddenly became a curiousity.
By MIGUEL MARQUEZ
ABC News
April 1, 2007 — It is a mystery causing heated debate in the world of beekeeping: What's wrong with the bees? Why are they suddenly and without warning leaving their colonies — and disappearing almost overnight — by the millions in the United States, Canada and Europe?
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2999495&page=1
Honey bees hit by weather, disease
Jeff Esau, Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007
The Ottawa-area honey market is not quite in crisis, says Greely beekeeper Brent Halsall, but producers are facing “difficult times and struggling to continue doing business.”
The late onset of winter and cheap imported honey from China and South America are driving beekeepers to the verge of pulling out of an industry that, 10 years ago, thrived in Eastern Ontario, Mr. Halsall said.
The region’s recent weather patterns have played havoc with the hives. Warm weather prompts bees to produce extra broods, Mr. Halsall said. When the winter hit so late and abruptly this year, many bees were killed as they tended the larvae and pupae, in some cases just inches from the honey they needed to survive.
Some producers lost 50 per cent of their bees; Mr. Halsall lost 60 per cent in some of his hives. He said he knows one beekeeper who was left with only two of 68 hives.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=6b8ccdf7-79a5-4574-a917-2b17bf213114&k=74198
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
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Of all the possible end-of-the-world scenarios I’ve heard about, this one is the most disturbing. Few people would have imagined that the human race would end in starvation. If these stories are true, I think all the scientists in the world should drop whatever they are doing and find out what is going on with the bee population immediately.
People who think there is something they refer to as god don't ask enough questions.
This is just the beginning of the 'mysterious die offs' that we will see more and more of in the coming years. It's climate change, pure and simple. Just hope the ocean's algae doesn't start mysteriously dying off, cuz then we are truly fucked.
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This kind of stuff worries me a hell of a lot more than graphs and statistics.
And the graphs and statistics were worrying.
One of the theories I have heard was the effect of genetically modified food. I have been reading up on this one for a while now. One of the reason why I think it's not global warming is because of the nature of the bee hives after they are "infected". Other insects and species won't touch it. Leaving me to wonder if they can sense the infection at a biological level.
I have also heard that a theory is a pathogen in the hives. Disturbing some of the bees and making the other not want to return.
I've heard everything from protozoa to cell phones.
I may have first hand experience with this. For several years I have had a hive of honeybees living in the wall of my very old house. I just couldn't see killing them so I kept putting it off. The hive was very successful and spawned several swarms off to new hives over the years.
Well this year my old house finally HAD to be remodelled. New siding, windows, remove and replace the rotting porch. Complete face lift. So the bees finally had to go. But when I peeled back the siding, the hbees werre gone. Just not there. And the hive was huge. It extended a good 6 feet back into the house between the floor joists of the second floor. There was fresh honey in the combs and ALOT of comb. But no bees.
I felt strangely relieved that I didn't have to kill the hive but also very puzzled.
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