Environment

Massive Honey Bee Die-Off Threatens US Crops

by René | March 29, 2007 at 09:08 am

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Probing Question: What's killing the honey bees?

March 1, 2007, By Lisa Duchene, Research Penn State

Far away from the snowdrifts outside our windows, spring is unfolding in California as the almond trees begin to bloom. Missing from the party are millions of honey bees typically trucked in to pollinate the $2-$3 billion crop.

Since last fall, beekeepers in more than 20 states including Pennsylvania have lost tens of thousands of honey bee colonies -- an estimated 30 to 35 percent of the nation's pollinator stock. Nobody knows why.

So far investigators have discovered three possible causes: a parasite, a fungal disease, and new toxic pesticides.

The phenomenon, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD),
was first noticed last fall in Florida. Theories about its cause
include environmental change, malnutrition, pathogens, mites, pesticide
contamination, disease or genetically modified crops.

More than
20 states have been affected, including Iowa. California, Florida,
Georgia, Montana, North Carolina and Pennsylvania are the hardest hit.
Some beekeepers have lost 80 percent of their colonies.

according to report in Mason City, Iowa, Globe Gazette: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2007/03/29/local/doc460b1591305dd178663554.txt

One concerned bee-keeper said, "If you don't have bees, you don't have food."

Concern is so great experts will be testifying before Congress today regarding the problem for the House Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee.

Washington Top News:

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=116&sid=1101256

A major focus is on the effects of new pesticides and insecticides used in monoculture and on modified crops.

See my comments below for updates on the Hearing and more info.

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René

at 01:02 on April 2nd, 2007

The House Comittee Hearing Records can be found here:

Hearing on the Loss of Bees

There's a PDF for each person's Testimony.

Also some scientists have found that the use of an insecticide that has been banned in Europe called neonicotinides causes memory loss in the Bees and they literally Can't Find Their Way Home!

This is a serious issue, more than a third of US crops are endangered and Bee-keepers have suffered massive economic losses, forced to import bees to meet even part of their committment to farmers, and it's not enough to save all the endangered crops.

No bees, no pollination, no fruit or veggies or grains. No Flowers!

Bees are so important to agriculture, that the bee was part of the Royal signature and insignia for the Pharoahs of Egypt from the beginning of their Kingdom, over 5,000 years ago. And according to one Egyptian myth, honey bees (scientific name Apis mellifera) were the tears
of the sun god Ra. Sacred Insects