Bees dying by the millions...?

[davidstcldfl]

Whatever the cause, it's not good... :cry:


http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress. ... e-unknown/ (http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/ecosystem-crisis-bees-dying-by-the-millions-in-canada-cause-unknown/)

[eddiemigue]

That is a disturbing reality of our current situation. I just hope that we don't have a sudden collapse of the system.

[knvernon]

I've been looking into this recently as well. Oddly enough tho, I've seen more honey bees than ever this year since I was a kid. I moved to a farm about 3 years ago and all we would see is fumble bees, thousands of them, but today my son and I were playing in the hose and we saw at least 30-40 honey bees

[15mules]

I do not have the band width here to look up large files and such, but I do know a little about Bees. My father-in-law retired from the game and fish here and turned down the job of state Bee inspector, he has had bees and been selling them and raising Queens for years. The problem today is we have several different types of mites that have to be treated for in the colonies, no more just sticking them in a box and waiting for honey. They are also very susceptible to chemicals, such as is used in agriculture today to control pests, etc. I think the biggest problem, in speaking with him anyway, is transportation of Bees. Do you realize there are Bee brokers, and truckloads of Bees are sent back and forth all over the country during different times of the season to pollinate crops. Therefore, if Bees get any disease it is quickly transmitted many times country wide, before anyone realizes it is even a problem. These Bees are also severely stressed due to constantly being moved, so their immune system is also not what is should be. The same as if we moved our fish every few months from state to state, you would not expect them to be as healthy as they could be if left in one place.

[urbanfarmer]

Yes, but just think of all the opportunities for flies.

[David - WI]

This "case" might provide some hard evidence, since it seems to be a "non-agricultural" area it might be easier to pin this one on the pesticide applied to the trees: http://news.discovery.com/earth/plants/ ... 130621.htm (http://news.discovery.com/earth/plants/25000-dead-bees-in-target-parking-lot-130621.htm)

[urbanfarmer]

OR, they were just tired of taking orders from HER all the time and wanted to opt out. Hm....

[15mules]

The truth is 99% of the general public have no idea how important Bees are for crop production. If and when the food system in the U.S. is disrupted or fails, most people will have had no idea there was ever even a problem, until they have nothing on the shelf of their local store, by then it will be too late.

[Oxide]

Last I read the bee population had rebound. No one really knows why it declined when it did, or why it did. Theories of fungus, virus, and pesticides ... ??? Nor does anyone know why the sudden bee comeback last year, and even more of a rebound this year. Don't know if the rise and fall in bee population is regional or global, e.g. have bee populations rebound everywhere or only in some regions?

[eddiemigue]

Haven't heard about a rebound, but that would be outstanding. I'd like to get a hive sometime in the future, just have to convince the village board to give me another pass (had to lobby for chickens a couple of years ago).

[urbanfarmer]

:mrgreen:

[JCO]

And the " :mrgreen: " is for what UF??? :mrgreen:

[urbanfarmer]

Yes bees! :mrgreen:

[foodchain]

I have many many hives, and I do the pollination contracts previously mentioned.
Before one forms an opinion on such matters as this, please understand that many many people who write about bees have not owned a hive, or haven't owned them for very long so their experience is limited. And they regurgitate what they have been told or read elsewhere.

The disappearing bees have not been caused by the commercial industry, if fact it was there that it was discovered and documented within our own community and brought it to the worlds attention.

Note, that if it wasn't for the EVIL commercial operations....Almonds wouldn't be available at a price you and I can afford.