Killer (lack of) Bees

[LeMansAid]

Constantly surprised at how rarely this situation is discussed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/22/us/bee-deaths-may-stem-from-virus-study-says.html?_r=0

The mysterious mass die-offs of honeybees that have wiped out roughly a third of commercial colonies each year since 2006 may be linked to a rapidly mutating virus that jumped from tobacco plants to soy plants to bees, according to a new study.

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/without_honeybees_we_may_cease_to_be/

Australia, which is yet to fall victim, exports millions upon millions of bees to other countries. In China, people are employed to pollinate by hand.

Conspiracy theories suggest that Monsanto is behind or helping the decline of bee populations, with their GM self-pollinating crops stepping in to "save the day".

 

[TenEightyOne]

It's also a problem in the UK, it's good that the world is becoming more aware of the need for environmental protection but some important parts of the problem still don't seem to be getting the attention that they deserve.

 

[Danoff]

@TenEightyOne, what sort of environmental protection did you have in mind for helping with the Bee decline?

 

[TenEightyOne]

@TenEightyOne, what sort of environmental protection did you have in mind for helping with the Bee decline?

I'm not sure I have the answers, I was commenting more on the nature of "enviro" news, mostly global warming, the occasional warning about American Grey Squirrels and two weeks of live lambing on the BBC every year. Seriously.

The horticultural aspect of sub-sytems is often overlooked in favour of GW or cute enviro-poster-boys like that damned panda.

 

[Danoff]

@TenEightyOne

It just seems like the big problem with the bees is a virus - so I'm wondering how the knee-jerk environmental protection response works in. Don't get me wrong, I see ways that you could connect it, I just thought you had something in mind.

 

[TenEightyOne]

@TenEightyOneIt just seems like the big problem with the bees is a virus - so I'm wondering how the knee-jerk environmental protection response works in.

The problems of habitat change and pesticide use cumulatively outweigh the virus risks, at least from what I've read. Awareness of those facts has helped the horticultural and farming industries but a lot more needs to be done at a domestic level.

Despite being from the edge of an arable plain I'm afraid my farming experience was limited to lounging in hedges and chatting up the odd cute tractor driver.

 

[niky]

Doesn't help when genetic modification is unquestioningly demonized by many sectors, no matter who the proponent is or what the actual modification is. (The IRRI non-profit research institute here developed a high-vitamin rice variant here... only to see activists stage a fake demonstration in order to get close to the test crops to destroy them... again, this ain't Monsato... this is a non-profit).

As for mass die-offs of commercial bee colonies, I think the first part is the key... commercial. It may be that commercial bee colonies in these areas are a bit too close to a monoculture, without enough genetic variation to survive a viral outbreak.

 

[LeMansAid]

Discover magazine has reported that there has been a 90% decrease in wild bee populations in the US over the last 50 years.

 

[Omnis]

Solutions for bee crisis:

(1) Figure out artificial honey.
(2) Spray trees with manure, crossbreed flies with a greek man, hairy flies pollinate where the bees left off.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Solutions for bee crisis:

(1) Figure out artificial honey.
(2) Spray trees with manure, crossbreed flies with a greek man, hairy flies pollinate where the bees left off.

I'm thinking of the outcome for some of the more delicate species of woodland flower, and what kind of image the pollination process might present to nature walkers...

 

[Omnis]

Nature walkers can help.

 

[Neddo]

Discover magazine has reported that there has been a 90% decrease in wild bee populations in the US over the last 50 years.

I hope you're lying

 

[PeterJB]

I've had a nest in my chimney for the past five years. A few months ago the queen up and moved to a tree in my neighbour's garden, within 20 minutes there was a nest the size of a beach ball hanging from the branches surrounded by several hundred bees, we called the local bee keeper who moved them into one of his hives.

 

[ryzno]

I'm sorry but I find Zika more important than bees. Dude in the video is right it doesn't affect many.
But the people it does affect can't change or fix the outcome.
Cue the tree huggers #beeslivesmattermorethanhumans

 

[LeMansAid]

I'm sorry but I find Zika more important than bees. Dude in the video is right it doesn't affect many.
But the people it does affect can't change or fix the outcome.
Cue the tree huggers #beeslivesmattermorethanhumans

I don't think you understand. Most of the concern is actually over the impact it would have on humans, were bees to meet their ultimate end.