USA bee die-off... should we be worried?

Discussion in 'The big picture' started by devinp, Mar 3, 2007.

  1. devinp

    devinp Junior Member

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    Has anyone heard of the mass honeybee die off going on in the USA at the moment?

    Apparantly 24 states in America have experienced a 30-60% reduction in bee numbers with some states pushing 90%.

    I also read that a number of European countries are having a similiar problem.

    Scientists and Agri guys are calling it colony collapse syndrome and can't figure it out.

    Most of the articles I've come across mention economic implications.... I can think of a few more serious problems than that!

    Should we be worried?

    All the best,
    Devin.
     
  2. Richard on Maui

    Richard on Maui Junior Member

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    Yes... :cry:
     
  3. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    yes to all also!

    it's just part of the big picture of our mass destruction of bio-diversity and habitat along with mass applications of chemical sprays, also be more of a worry if this is affecting native bee populations.

    since moving back into the burb's and with very remnant habitat within 5k i note there are very few pollinators especially the honey bee, and we also ahve semi rural type properties not far away.

    len
     
  4. Jez

    Jez Junior Member

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    Half a dozen articles on this topic with a wide range of opinions as to cause and effect available Here (Click To View)

    Tamara Scully and Tom Philpott's articles seem to detail the most plausible cause IMO - systemic pesticides and habitat loss.
     
  5. Parsley

    Parsley Junior Member

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    have a look at "Does your country have any Global Cooling Legislation?" in the fourms. (not sure how to put a link for it) talks about the VOC's how they could be responsable for part of the insect wipe out not to mention what else it could be doing interesting read anyhow. i think it says in there i have heard from some where that the US are importaing Bees from europe for pollinators
     
  6. heuristics

    heuristics Junior Member

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    Yes, we should be more than worried...

    I am no scientist and have no real knowledge if bees are actually dying in great numbers or not. But if they are - and I am more than prepared to accept and believe that they are - then myself - I'd point the finger at genetically modified crops.
    Having seen The Future of Food DVD recently..... I am even MORE pessimistic about the future of human kind and the planet as we know it and survive on it.

    The GM industry is mostly unregulated and we have no real knowledge as to what THEY - Monsanto and others are doing.

    Now that GMS are out in the wider environment, "strange" things are bound to happen.

    Also the silence about the plight of the bees makes me suspect "They" do know what's happening... in fact, maybe a Large Corporation may be busy creating genetic bees to "solve" the "problem"..... of course, such bees would be owned by the company and you'd have to buy them at exorbitant cost each season!
    I dont know if this is true, but now nothing surprises me anymore.

    I stole this snippet from one of the articles Jez posted links to:

    ""Along with the strong potential for pesticide poisonings, there is also the possibility that GMO plants, which have been genetically engineered for insect resistence, are detrimental to honeybees, Simone said.
    (1 Mar 2007)""

    If I could take a bet on what's happening, I'd put my money on it being related to GMs.
     
  7. digging

    digging Junior Member

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    Wow!

    Everyone keep it coming we all need to help each other keep our eyes open, 'hug a bee'

    I wonder what people can do on personal level to help native bees? Can we put up 'bee houses' like bird houses??

    Digging
     
  8. Jez

    Jez Junior Member

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    Good question digging.

    There's a fair bit to suggest that habitat loss is a significant contributor to native bee losses, so that's an obvious area.

    Commercially speaking, I guess there's not a great deal that can be done about insecticide immune 'super mites'...it's a concrete example of messing with nature (through use of insecticides) backfiring to a point you can't easily go back...the 'Frankenstein mite' has been created and there's no going back.

    At a personal level, maintaining and creating healthy Zone5 areas and intercropping with pollinator attractors does something to offset loss of habitat. Up north QLD here, we've had a very wet, non-bee encouraging wet season in a heavily commercially farmed (read insecticide) region, but at a guess I'd say that at least a couple of hundred native and European bees visit our (current) 1/4 acre block each day...buckwheat, cosmos, marigold, dill, perennial basil...all help to keep them coming back for pollen each day around the frequent downpours. Before we arrived, there was nothing but runner grasses and a handful of badly maintained fruit trees...so I guess we have made the land much more productive while keeping a close eye on maintaining and enhancing habitat for insects and birds...I'd say the vast majority of people and ag businesses could do that if they set out to...even just though influence over public land management - aside from private ownership.

    While a high production urban garden such as the one illustrated in the path to freedom site may well have admirable yields, IMO you really can't put a price or yield value on leaving some space for plants which attract and provide habitat for pollinators as a Permaculture system should.

    Therein lies the difference between high production organic gardening and 'big picture' Permaculture wisdom IMO.
     
  9. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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  10. spritegal

    spritegal Junior Member

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    Regardless of our concerns re: bees, Tasmanian Devils, the plight of the polar bears, or the seal kill in Canada this year...

    Rest assured Mother Nature will prevail...this planet has seen 90% of its biodiversity wiped out more than once in the last 3.5 billion years....we may be temporary custodians of this planet but Nature is the boss....if bees didn't exist some other creature would evolve to take that ecological niche.

    We have to worry because this travesty is of our own doing and is entirely our responsibility...but take heart that no matter what we do to this planet, life will continue, in some form or another, for another 3-4 billion years. We just may not be around to see it, that's all.
     
  11. Peter Carlyon

    Peter Carlyon Junior Member

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    bees.....

    Have read a little about it - and do think it is a worry. Thought this article was pretty interesting - particularly as it started with Albert Einsteins prediction of 4 years...

    https://www.heyokamagazine.com/HEYOKA.7.BEES.htm

    Peter
     
  12. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    yes habitat destruction or anhilation is what it is at about now, is going to be the major factor any oterh man manipulation factors are going to be the nail in the coffin factors. i ahve never lived anywhere apart from now where ther ahs never or almost never been any honey bees flitting around garden flowers, and always many other pollinators as well, we just don't have them.

    so habitat destruction easily wipes out native bee colonies, but because it is so complete when they clear for development (no corridors or insufficent corridors) they have taken away habitat for wild colonies of honey bees as well. just saw of recent time a big hollow dead gum cut down ideal habitat tree for lots of things but human duty of care comes first and foremost. why couldn't they just remove the limbs? the tree looked solid enough to stand for a long time yet.

    we'll be looking into a native hive as soon as we can, i'm started to get a comples having to run around each morning pollnating pumpkin flowers hey chuckle? yeh wife thinks i'm 2 timing her lol.

    nothing will ever improve whilst trees are viewed as weeds.

    also no wasps in our region, only seen a coule of those mud dauber wasps and no paper wasps, so lots of things being wiped out. no habitat her for frogs either even the cane toad has nowhere (though that's no loss), but never likley to here choruses of frogs around here on rainy nights. lucky bad bugs are few and far between as well 'cause we got nothing to help us control them.

    len
     
  13. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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  14. gg

    gg Junior Member

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  15. fiona

    fiona Junior Member

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  16. *redreamer*

    *redreamer* Junior Member

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    https://www.snopes.com/quotes/einstein/bees.asp


    not everything you read is true.........and while not advocating any less vigilance......... the SOURCE of information should always be checked as ALL information is subject to the 'Chinese Whispers' effect... more so online .......

    :)
     
  17. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


    before you call into perspective a DEAD physicist, it would be wise to assess the current problems..

    rereader, this is ludicrous beyond belief, and particularly offensive to a forum that tries as best it can to be worldly, wise and informed.

    The fact you use a 50 year old [and untried] perspective] on a current issue says a lot more about your problem solving skills than your ability to offer solutions to anyone.


    please desist from posting belated uniformed bullshit to a specific environmental crisis.

    and LASTLY..................... SINCE WHEN THE FUCK HAS SNOPES HAD ANY BIOLOGICAL OR SCIENTIFIC REQUIREMENTS..



    floot
     
  18. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Sorry to add to this post..


    BUT REDREAMER........ PLEASE POST ANY FUCKING SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION THAT 'CHINESE WHISPERS' ACTUALLY IMPACTS BEES...................................................................................


    IN ANY ENVIRONMENT???




    unsigned in disgust
     
  19. *redreamer*

    *redreamer* Junior Member

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    I think perhaps from your response floot i did not make myself clear and i apologise for creating misunderstanding...... it was not my intent.

    * I am not calling the 'REPUTATION" of the quote or the scientist into question.......... it was simply not made by him which is relevent in that it DISCREDITS by its 'connection' if you will the issue at hand...... namely the health and importance of bee populations by being linked with the FACTS.

    * I am not advocating there is no crisis.

    * I AM saying there are times when important issues are muddied by erronious postings........ I was meaning to bring into the discussion critical thinking...... it was not meant to be a bad thing......

    over emoting on IMPORTANT issues is counterproductive....... i do believe you will discover in time that i was not critical of the discussion at all.... there is no doubt in my mind there is a habitat issue.

    I live near Ithaca near Cornell University...... this is what the department of Entymology here is saying......

    https://www.entomology.cornell.edu/Ithac ... lapse.html


    it is worth a read......



    peace.
     
  20. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Ty redreamer,

    Please read the link you posted. It recognised that the US apiary industry has been afflicted by mites for the past 20 years. SO WHAT!!

    whoopdeedoo

    Back to where you started.... YOU POSTED A SNOPES/EINSTEIN LINK for a current problem WITH NO THOUGHT AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW.
    Is not einstein dead? If we acknowledge that Einstein is dead we may recognise that this problem is NEW.

    Why post that crap? Posting snopes as 'factual' and an argument killer. is fraught with stupidity - even blind freddie could research this issue with scientific validity and an eye to impending doom.

    floot
     

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