Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder may have a simple cause, after all. (photo: redorbit.com)
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/9659-dying-honeybees...
Dying Honeybees: It Was the Insecticides All Along
28 January 12
ith news that the U.S. honeybee population has been so devastated that some beekeepers will qualify for disaster relief dollars, comes a report from Purdue University that one of the causes of honeybee deaths is - as long suspected - neonicotinoids.
I say one of the causes, because the article does. In fact, the levels of neonicotinoid contamination of the powder used to spread seeds - up to 700,000 times the lethal dose - suggest that this pesticide may be the major, or precipitating, cause, with Varroa mites and other problems simply the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
And this, a myriad of causes, none of them dominant, is what agencies like the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture would have us believe, either because (as some suggest) they are understaffed to adequately investigate Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), or because some of their former (or present) members are in bed with major chemical and genetically modified (GM) seed manufacturers.
The study, by Christian Krupke (professor of entomology) and Greg Hunt (professor of genetics and honeybee specialist), explains that the contaminated powder is residue from the seed treatment. What happens is, corn and soybean seeds are treated with neonicotinoids in a talc base to keep them moving through today’s high-tech vacuum seed spreaders when it comes time to plant.
But not all the talc stays attached to the seeds. Some is released as residue due to excessive application or machinery vibrations, or when cleaning the seeders after use, and settles on nearby flowering plants or in the soil. Some even manages to survive the growing year intact on corn pollen.
One of the neonicotinoids, clothianidin (and its precursor, thiamethoxam), was also found regularly, albeit at low levels, in U.S. soils up to 24 months after treated seed was planted. This is the same insecticide, or pesticide already banned across much of Europe, including France, Italy, Germany, the UK and Slovenia.
Several countries, like Germany, have also sued clothianidin maker Bayer CropScience for its role in the manufacture and distribution of the highly toxic pesticide, which is aimed at replacing imidacloprid (whose patent ran out, so it doesn’t bring as much sales revenue to chemical corporations like Bayer CropScience!).
This is the same Bayer that came under the gun in 2010 for its GM rice, which contaminated three fields of genetically pure rice in Germany. The cost, to Bayer, was $1.5 million, but the truth is that the Big Five Frankenfood creators (Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow and DuPont) rarely get tagged for their perversion of the natural world, making their takeover of the global seed market and their promotion of monocropping spectacularly successful (and almost complete, thanks to help from Codex Alimentarius).
Should you doubt this is true, consider the case of Monsanto in India, where the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, and the World Bank, both pushed regulators, who in turn pushed farmers to buy and sow expensive Monsanto cotton seed, which (because it carries a “terminator” gene) needs to be bought again every year, where once farmers either bought cheap, native cotton seed or saved seed for replanting.
When cotton fields from this GM seed failed to materialize - largely because farmers had been growing native cotton that required less water to survive - farmers lost everything. Many committed suicide by drinking the very (and also expensive) pesticides and weed killers tailor-made to work alongside their GM fields. The final death toll was 125,000.
Surprisingly, Europe - which seems to be dominated by a policy of central control (in everything from finances to law to farming), at least when compared to the U.S. - has been the staunchest opponent of Frankenfoods, from crop chemical to seed.
Not so the U.S., where beekeepers are losing about one-third of hives each and every year. But now the state of California, ever at the forefront of earth-friendly policies, has put forward a right-to-know referendum which will enable residents to find out about genetically engineered foods (i.e., who makes them, what they are, where they are sold) - something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has stubbornly refused to demand in food labeling.
Nor has the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stepped up to the plate. In fact, it failed to pay attention to reports from its own scientists, and was completely taken in by the deeply flawed Bayer study about clothianidin-treated canola crops.
The situation in the U.S. has now reached what beekeepers and their advocates, like Steve Ellis of the National Honey Bee Advisory Board, are calling a ‘critical tipping point’ beyond which honeybee colonies may not survive to replenish themselves.
Thanks, Bayer et al; we needed that!
"Without bees to pollinate plants, the world population would die out in 2 - 3 years!" ~B. Blake Levitt
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/nicotine-bees-population-rest...
"Nicotine Bees" Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban
Roberta Cruger
Technology / Clean Technology
May 15, 2010
Bee barely hangs on before collapsing. Photo by Operaticomnivore
Following France and Germany, last year the Italian Agriculture Ministry suspended the use of a class of pesticides, nicotine-based neonicotinoids, as a "precautionary measure." The compelling results - restored bee populations - prompted the government to uphold the ban. Yesterday, copies of the film 'Nicotine Bees' were delivered to the US Congress explaining the pesticide's connection to Colony Collapse Disorder. Despite the evidence, why does CCD remain a 'mystery' in the US?
Trailer for "Nicotine Bees" documentary explaining cause for Colony Collapse Disorder.
Nicotinyl pesticides, containing clothianidin, thiametoxam and imidacloprid, used to coat plant seeds, are released into the lymph as a permanent insecticide inside the plant. But after just sucking dew from maize leaves that absorbed neonicotinoids, disoriented bees can't find their way to the apiary. Massive numbers of bees get lost and die.
In 2009, Italy's neonicotinoid-free corn sowing resulted in no cases of widespread bee mortality in apiaries around the crops. This had not happened since 1999. The European Research Center, Youris, reported that Moreno Greatti, from the University of Udine stated, "Bee hives have not suffered depopulation and mortality coinciding with maize sowing this year. Beekeepers from Northern Italy and all over the country are unanimous in recognizing that the suspension of neonicotinoid- and fipronil-coated maize seeds."
Although varroasis (infections from mites) and other pathologies are found at other times of the year, suspending neurotoxic insecticides improved the situation significantly. Francesco Panella, President of the Italian Association of Beekepers, says: "On behalf of beegrowers working in a countryside dominated by maize crops, I wrote to the Minister of Agriculture to confirm the great news, for once: thanks to the suspension of the bee-killing seed coating, the hives in the Po Valley are flourishing again."
Not true in Southern Italy, where bee mortality was high in citrus groves, which were sprayed with neonicotinoids, also used in vineyards and other crops. The new law has been challenged by the agrochemical industry but the Italian government upheld the ban.
Want to eat?
With pollination responsible for one-third of our food supply, the loss of 30% of our bee population prompted the Pollinator Protection Campaign by the Sierra Club. It bought 333 copies of Nicotine Bees which were delivered to Congress on May 13 and 14, along with 50 more from the filmmakers, with a letter from the National Honey Bee Advisory Board. The American Beekeeping Federation and American Honey Producers Association are asking Congress to stop the threats from systemic pesticides to food supplies, honeybees and pollinators. Send a copy to the other 152 members of Congress by contacting the Sierra Club's bee campaign.
The bees steep decline in 2005 and 2006 was catastrophic around the world. In the UK bee numbers have been halved over 20 years, with reasons including the pesticide and warmer winters due to climate change. Honeybee pollinated fruit trees and crops in Britain amount to £165m annually, so a campaign to grow bees in city gardens and roofs has been an attempt to halt decline.
Despite the scientific data, reports still claim the reason for the bee crisis is unclear, even blaming cell phones. So what's really holding up the banning of neonicotinoids? As a beekeeper in the documentary says, "A fifth grader can figure this out."
More on Colony Collapse Disorder:
Green Eyes On: Is Bees' Thirst Leading to Their Demise?
Bees Equiped With Microchips Help Explain Hive Declines
Bees Rejoice: One Potential Cause of Colony Collapse Disorder
It was eye opening to me, when training to do environmental site assessments, that apple orchards are some of the most toxic sites. No wonder - the very place where we need the bees. It's a pity - talk about the icon of the beautiful poisoned apple. We used to have an apple tree at a place I rented. It never got sprayed and the apples had brown spots all over but were delicious, especially made great pies and sauce, if one cared about the looks. I hope part of the 2012 change that takes place is that we come to value the inside and the heart of the matter (the apple seeds are the most healthy part - full of vit. B17 - prevents cancer) and stop caring about the superficial.
I am relieved to see this report,,,,,,as there is another report out, thought I saw it here, saying that scientists had concluded that it was the microwaves from the cellphone industry that were definitely the cause of the decline in the bee pop......This would seem to be an easier solution to deal with, as , unless a new form of communication were invented and implemented reeeaaal fast, we would be doomed. just try taking away people's cellphones ! At least we have a chance at eliminating this problem.....May a big neutralizing bubble pop and gently float to the surface, allowing our bee friends to throive once again !,,,,l,,,,,T
How many would give up their cell phones to save the bees???
How many would give up their cell phones to save the bees if they knew that we only had a max. of 4 years after the demise of the bees???
I wonder how many species of insect, plant and animal can detect all the electronic noise in the airwaves? Those birds that dropped out of the sky and died, the whales that end up beached and dying, bees that may lose their way from misdirection of electronic pollution. Still not sure that insecticide covers every odd phenomenon we all have seen and heard about in the past few years...
So you know I'm walking and not just talking, I still have never owned a cell phone and gladly plan on never owning one. We are seemingly being willingly dragged in a direction that makes us more and more dependent on electronic sensation. Can you imagine going deep into the Amazon and finding a tribe walking around jabbering superficial nothings to each other on cell phones???
Hope they always say no thank you to cell phones, please pass the Ayahuasca... LOL
Can we trust any study anymore? I don't think it's wise to just accept what some university comes up with. Who knows who funded the study. It could be the insecticides killing the bees, but let's not let cell phones off the hook (no pun intended). With Chris, I'm suspicious of electromagnetics. We've heard before about the electromagnetic soup that we all live in -- and that all life lives in, to some extent -- and its effects can't be good. For example, there's the screwed-up bird migration; that isn't due to insecticides. Here are a couple of articles about the electro-soup. The first is focused on health, the second is by David Icke, and you know what he focuses on.
http://www.shareguide.com/radiation.html
http://salonesoterica.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/electromagnetic-smog-and-how-it-hurts-you/
In the documentary, "Vanishing of the Bees" reasons for Colony Collapse Disorder are explored. The conclusion is that nicotinoid pesticides are the primary culprit. EMFs from cellphones and other wireless devices can put the final nail in the coffin for bees weakened by pesticides. Likewise, modern beekeeping practices, like moving bee colonies hundreds of miles across the country to pollinate crops can further weaken pesticide-stressed colonies and lead to CCD.
Here's the trailer...
have heard much about the effects of emf. My qiqong teacher spoke about it over 25 years ago, talking about how morning practice makes you impervious to the waves that pass through you on a daily basis. I didn't mean to say that I took this report as final,or the absolute truth, but, if it was, we would have an easier time changing it. I too haven't owned a cellphone in 8 or 9 years,(other than for 2 months in China last year). Although the weakening magnetic field of the planet is probably the cause of many species losing their (homing beacons) they use in migration, I have always been suspicious of the currents we have put into the air with our technology.......By the way, This site is still blacked out in China, I just had to buy proxpn again to break through. It gives me a Miami isp address....I hope it keeps working,,,,T
The Pesticides weaken the bees making them susceptible to environmental toxins, energetic toxins, the weakening magnetic field and the stress of being enslaved by big agriculuture.
The bees recover when pesticides are removed, the hives stay stationary and they have plenty of good necter to nosh on.
Incidently, I always have plenty of honey bees, bumble bees, and bore bees, in my yard and I live next to a cell phone tower in a town with a nuclear plant--- and yet the bees from the farms do just fine--- The farmers in this little sector of the world use pesticides very cautiously and bug specific--- if at all---
There were so many bees in our yard last summer we had to step carefully around them as they enjoyed the nectar of red clover, white clover, dandelion, bramble berry, lilac, forsythia, and rose as well as self-heal, squash, tomato, cuke, holly, hawk weed, and sweet violet in addition to the trees in the early spring--- Maple, birch, poplar and Rhodendrum.
I love to hear them buzzing in happy joy in the rose bush...LOL
Fairy
to see that new Orleans was full of honeybees this past year, but didn't really see the numbers until september there....Sounds like you have a great yard Fairy !,,,Bee Bubble out !,,,,L,,,,T
http://www.pressherald.com/2014/10/19/help-for-honeybee-colonies-comes-f...
http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/february2012/insecticideforGMcornt...
http://www.pressherald.com/2014/10/19/help-for-honeybee-colonies-comes-f...
DEERFIELD, Mass. — It was the early 1990s and America’s honeybees were under attack. Dan Conlon, owner of Warm Colors Apiary in Deerfield, watched as hive after hive of his fellow beekeeper’s stock succumbed to the Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite against which European bees are virtually defenseless. The mites, which Conlon said are native to Asia and had probably entered the U.S. as stowaways on a shipment of bees, had launched a full-scale invasion that decimated hives across the country and drove many professional beekeepers into bankruptcy. In just three years, he said, the country lost over 4 million beehives. “Before we even knew they existed, they had already spread everywhere. In about six months, it was over before anything could be done,” said Conlon. “They were so destructive that we dropped from 6 million hives to under 2 million in three years. Even today, we’ve only got about 2.4 million.” In a desperate attempt to end the crisis, Conlon said, many beekeepers found themselves resorting to pesticide use to kill the mites – a decision that also had detrimental effects on the bees’ health. Today, Conlon said, the mite invasion and those practices have become two of the prime suspects in identifying the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder, a recent phenomenon in which entire hive populations vanish without a trace. When the beekeepers began using chemicals against the mites, Conlon said, they deviated from thousands of years of beekeeping tradition that used natural selection and selective breeding to strengthen bees against diseases, weather and pests. Eventually, the mites became resistant to the pesticides. “That period changed beekeeping forever,” he said. “The U.S. used to be a surplus producer of honey, but now we import almost 70 percent of it.” But Conlon, along with a handful of other beekeepers and scientists, has found a way to fight back. Enter the Russian honey bee. NATURAL DEFENSES AGAINST MITES As a member of the Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association, Conlon began introducing honey bees from Russia’s Primorsky region into his hives 14 years ago. The Russian bees, which are from the same area as the mites, have developed a natural defense against them: They groom each other, removing the bugs and tossing them out of their hives – a behavior which their European cousins don’t exhibit. But the adult bees aren’t the only ones threatened by the mites. During the pupal stage – the period in which a bee transitions from a larva into an adult –the mites force their way into the cells and try to eat the pupa. According to Condon, the Russian bees have developed a way to sense when that is occurring and are able to pull those mites out as well. “In nature, a lot of these mechanisms appear over long periods of time, and some have these abilities that help them survive,” said Condon. “It’s probably the best solution yet, it’s very exciting. They’re hardier bees. Eventually there won’t be any treatment necessary.” Condon said the idea of using the Russian bees to fight the mite problems was first conceived by Dr. Tom Rinderer, of the United States Department of Agriculture. Rinderer noticed the unique behavior of the bees and after about eight years of negotiations with the U.S. and Russian governments was able to obtain a few queens, which he brought to an island near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to be tested under quarantine. Rinderer found that the anti-mite behavior was a genetic trait and began breeding the bees to introduce the trait to other species. “He sped up natural selection,” said Condon. “He picked the bees where the trait was strongest and amplified the genetics. We’ve actually improved the stock.” Condon said Rinderer identified 18 distinct genetic lines within the Russian honey bee population that had the desirable traits and began breeding them. Each of the association’s members, which Condon said includes about 10 people, are responsible for maintaining two of the lines. ENSURING PURITY OF THE LINES But ensuring the purity of the lines is no easy task. When mating, Condon said, the bees can fly miles from their hives and the process occurs in midair. To be sure that the Russian queens are mating with Russian drones, Condon has to saturate the area with them. “The Queens can mate with up to a dozen drones in their lifetime,” said Condon. “If you have other types of bees in there, it will dilute the stock.” He said all 800 of his hives are now filled with Russian bees. To be sure the lines have remained pure, Condon has to send DNA samples to the association for testing. He said he expects to hear the results of his most recent sampling within the next few weeks. Condon, who has 45 years of beekeeping experience, said he began breeding Russian bees about 14 years ago. He’s been an official association member for five years. Before making the switch, he raised his bees in an open system where they were allowed to mate with other types to produce “hybrid vigor,” resulting in hardier, more prolific bees. “It worked well for a number of years, but there’s very little control and it becomes inconsistent,” he said. “After about two to three years, we’d lose the initial genetics and it would go in the other direction.” Raising the Russian bees, he said, is much more regimented. “It needs to be predictable to ensure purity in the lines,” Condon said. Condon said the association’s long-term goal is to show people that bees can be created with the ability to solve their own problems.
Blessings to All-- My Garden this summer were full of several varieties of Bees. From the Bumbles to the wild Honey Bee and all in between . I enjoyed watching them gather nectar. This year I had a bumper crop of green beans. I have a small raised bed garden as I live on the ocean. I no longer live at a house with a yard. Instead for the past 2 years I have lived on a Salt Water Marsh and 2 blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. Where I live the Marsh floods our road a lot. So the only way to grow anything is through a raised bed. My raised Garden Box came from the sea after some high tidal flooding and receded! The perfect container came to rest in front of my door-- literally as day after O had described what I would like my Husband to build for me. Imagine our surprise when the perfect container..a lovely wooden box 5x3feet showed up by our door stoop. Little garden. This raised bed is what my daughters planted a packet of organic green bean seeds into our little garden.
The previous year we had planted carrot seeds and lettuce seeds and marigolds. Those came up too! We were very surprised to see carrots and lettuce pop up in our littlee garden. We also had some volunteers plant themselves. Marsh Goldenrod and Marsh Vetch and some sort of lovely fuzzfuzzy Flower and Marsh Frost Flowers (a type of wild Aster) and Salt Hay. These lovely volunteers called the bees and they showed up enmass. It was a delight to sit in my beside-the-road wicker chair and watch the bees do thier happy work.
I also have a narrow raised ned that follows the front of the house. Here my we planted a mix of bulbs, perrenials and annuals. It is very hot in the summer on this side o the house as it faces Southwest. Here Geraniums found a Happy home.
In the spring tulips and daffodils and Lilies come up and grace this little garden with thier nee joy. Then we plant the annuals on the last weekend of May. This year we planted Geraniums, Violas, hot pokers, marigolds, and several packets of organic sunflowers.
Nature planted Wild Marsh Asters and Marsh Goldenrod in our garden as well. Here the bees are still doing thier happy work. The Wild Asters and Goldenrod are still in bloom until after the first real hard frost which will be in early November sometime.
I also have 4 hanging baskets of Geraniums and Marrigolds and Mums. The bees love these flowers as well.
This spring also in the little front-of-the-house garden a pumpkin planted itself. The previous Autumn we had decorated with pumpkins from a local farmstand. And on Thanksgiving Day 2013 there was a blizzard. So we never sent the pumpkins to the compost pile-- we just left the pumpkin in the garden. In the Spring 2014, pumpkins were growing in one section of our garden. Unfortunately, pumpkins are very salt sensitive..and as soon as the roots made contact with the natural dirt the vine would die back but not before it had flowered and the bees would enjoy its nectar. Each time the pumpkin vine would die back due to salt toxcitity a new seed would sprout and grow a new vine.
This year 2014. we will put our Autum pumpkin in our large raised bed and hopefully grow our own pumpkins !
I bless you on this day and all days.
Nice to see you here again.