8 replies to this topic

[Chilidawgz]

Have you seen the news stories regarding the disappearance of honeybees across the US this winter/spring? I was waiting to see what would occur as our fruit trees blossomed here. Guess what? There are no honeybees around. I have never seen this before! If this plays out, there will be a major shortfall in many food crops this year...and the future?

[beta]

No honey ==> bad sign for da bears.

Edited by beta, 22 March 2007 - 01:35 AM.

[xe2dy]

Have you seen the news stories regarding the disappearance of honeybees across the US this winter/spring? I was waiting to see what would occur as our fruit trees blossomed here. Guess what? There are no honeybees around. I have never seen this before! If this plays out, there will be a major shortfall in many food crops this year...and the future?

Yes, here in Los Angeles I got an early start on tomatoes this year. Beautiful, 4 foot tall plants with lots of blossoms but NO bees! I don't even see the usual wasp or wood bees. I'm afraid that maybe the effort to eliminate the African bees back fried!

[OEXCHAOS]

Oddly, we've been very low on/devoid of wild honey bees in recent years, but this year, folks are seeing them! I will say that when we lost honey bees, all manner of wasp and bee grew into the void. I'm hopeful that such will be the case for you guys. Mark

[Chilidawgz]

Mark, It's a drag not seeing the critters in the yard but, no one is picking up the financial consequence of major food crops going bust and the impact. $$$$

[snorkels4]

yep, mayb the gore-acle is right about global warmeing. that could have something to do with it. tracheal mites have been killing bees off for a long time ive noticed that the JUNE bugs are out in force already

Edited by snorkels4, 22 March 2007 - 08:35 AM.

[OEXCHAOS]

Bee "ranchers" will be in big demand. They'll bring bees to a field for a fee. Good luck with it. M

[Rogerdodger]

Honey bees in US facing extinction
By Michael Leidig in Vienna
Last Updated: 2:20am GMT 14/03/2007


A mysterious condition that has wiped half of the honey bee population the United States over the last 35 years appears to be repeating itself in Europe.

Experts are at a loss to explain the fall in honey bee populations in America, with fears of that a new disease, the effects of pollution or the increased use of pesticides could be to blame for "colony collapse disorder". From 1971 to 2006 approximately one half of the US honey bee colonies have vanished.


Now in Spain, hundreds of thousands of colonies have been lost and beekeepers in northern Croatia estimated that five million bees had died in just 48 hours this week. In Poland, the Swietokrzyskie beekeeper association has estimated that up to 40 per cent of bees were wiped out last year. Greece, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal have also reported heavy losses.


"If it turns out to be a disease we will probably find a cure. But if it turns out to be something different, like environmental pollution, then I do not know what can be done.

"At the moment, all we know is colonies are dying and we simply don't know why. It could be a new disease or a combination of factors. And of course it could turn out what we are seeing here in Europe is different to what has been reported in America, although at the moment they look very, very similar."


Initial studies of dying colonies in America revealed a large number of disease organisms present, with no one disease being identified as the culprit, van Engelsdorp added.

[dougie]

the best explanation i have seen for it is the widespread use of a new pesticide which doesnt kill bees but makes them loose their way home.