How Much Pesticide Residue on Your Produce? FDA Doesn't Know New GAO report reveals FDA doing scant

a reply to: Sabiduria

Due to the fact that the orchards have been operating for decades, they still use the same procedures they did back when they first opened. Everything is hand picked and although pesticides are used in some of the orchards, the bee problem would have been noticed in an area like this long before anywhere else, if pesticide use were strictly to blame for the bee population decline.

he may have a point there....the orchards may have been operating for decades but is it all possible that the pesticides they are have been using have been changed or altered ?...and it is also possible that if they have been using the same poisons for decades that they have reached a critical mass ?...the signs of bee decline may have taken along time to have an impact on numbers

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

and it is also possible that if they have been using the same poisons for decades that they have reached a critical mass

Or, perhaps, are they using new pesticides? Neonicotinoids, for example, have been coming under close scrutiny though there is no firm evidence that they are the primary cause of CCD. They came into wide usage in the late 90s and are used on many crops, including those produced in orchards.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

and it is also possible that if they have been using the same poisons for decades that they have reached a critical mass

Or, perhaps, are they using new pesticides? Neonicotinoids, for example, have been coming under close scrutiny though there is no firm evidence that they are the primary cause of CDD. They came into wide usage in the late 90s and are used on many crops, including those produced in orchards.

most definitely...i addressed that possibility that in the first part of my post....if i was a betting man i would put my money on a change in pesticide

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

The change in pesticides was only last year or the year before that because of the global decline in bees. The orchards are part of the BC Fruit Growers Association so they follow the same guidelines.

We realize how important bees are to our orchards so that is why we are raising so much awareness and are so passionate about it.

Again, if pesticides were the only reason why bees were in decline than yes I can understand it messing with our bees. However, we also know that there are parasites on bees that are causing a decline as well.

Researchers have found a parasite in every Ontario bee sample they analyzed in part ofan effort to prevent a recurrence of the disaster that wiped out a third of the province's honeybee colonies last winter.

The Ontario Beekeepers' Associationexperts collected about 446 bee samples from 25 keepers and every one contained Nosema apis, a single-celled protozoan that affects the bees' digestive systems. More than half ofthe samples hada more aggressive strain called Nosema ceranae, the association said in a release Tuesday.

Butthat wasn't the only problem. "The bees were already under stress from a high incidence of varroa mites as well as the environment. Due to a wet fall, the bees were not able to gather enough pollen to use as a protein source for raising young bees in the spring," said Alison Skinner, an association expert.

Parasite found in every Ontario bee sample

An Asian parasite that's been blamed for bee deaths in Europe has been found in Canadian hives, and a Maritime entomologist says he thinks it may have played a part in killing bees in the region.

Twice the usual number of bees died last winter in hives in Prince Edward Island. Four timesthe usual numberdied in New Brunswick.

Entomologist Dick Rogers thinks he may have a new clue to what's killing them.

The region already has one form of the parasite Nosema apis, but in May Rogers discovered an Asian version called Nosema ceranae in Maritime hives

Asian parasite may be to blame for bee deaths


I'm still not sure why the fact that my valley is passionate about saving the bees globally, has anything to do with the orchards in this valley. I know other places that are passionate about saving the bees globally that don't have any orchards at all.

a reply to: Sabiduria

interesting..thx for posting that.... if the parasite is also causing the decline lets hope it goes away soon

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

For much of the past 10 years, beekeepers, primarily in the United States and Europe, have been reporting annual hive losses of 30 percent or higher, substantially more than is considered normal or sustainable
....

No one investigating the issue is suggesting that neonicotinoids are the sole cause of current bee declines. Tucker, other beekeepers, and entomologists say that the cause of colony collapse disorder is likely a combination of factors that includes the widespread use of pesticides and fungicides, as well as the spread of viral pathogens and parasitic mites in beehives. While mites and diseases have long been known to cause significant declines in domesticated bee populations, no single pathogen or parasite, say entomologists, appears to sufficiently explain the current rate of hive collapse.

A recent study that found unprecedented levels of agricultural pesticides — some at toxic levels — in honeybee colonies is prompting entomologists to look more closely at the role of neonicotinoids in current bee declines.

Some studies have indicated that neonicotinoids can lead to a sharp decline in queen bees in colonies and can also interfere with the ability of bees to navigate back to their hives. James Frazier, a professor of entomology at Pennsylvania State University, said more research needs to be conducted into whether neonicotinoids, particularly in combination with other pesticides, may suppress the immune system of bees at “sub-lethal” levels, enabling diseases to take hold.

Declining Bee Populations Pose A Threat to Global Agriculture

Neonicotinoids are only a recent threat to bees, mites/parasites and diseases have been the main cause over the last decade.

a reply to: Sabiduria

as it says in the article it is likely there are a combination of factors involved in the decline in bees....quite a disturbing trend....

i am pretty convinced the changing weather patterns and the increased pollution are pretty strong contenders ...pesticides certainly play their role....as you say Neonicotinoids are only a recent threat but it is also possible they have tipped the balance enough to be causing serious damage

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

yes as I said

Neonicotinoids are only a recent threat to bees, mites/parasites and diseases have been the main cause over the last decade

The weather changes would have an effect because when the bees are too weak in the fall to collect what they need in order to have babies in the spring, they aren't able to make it through the longer & stronger winters.

I'm not sure about pollution, I'd have to see if there are any studies out there conducting tests.

a reply to: Sabiduria

I'm not sure about pollution, I'd have to see if there are any studies out there conducting tests.

i would think pollution would be an obvious factor....insecticides accumulate in the water and soil and as that accumulation builds the more it would affect insects,...it would be interesting to see if there are any studies

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I thought you were meaning pollution like garbage and toxins in the air, not a build up of insecticides/pesticides.

originally posted by: Sabiduria
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I thought you were meaning pollution like garbage and toxins in the air, not a build up of insecticides/pesticides.

i was ...pesticides,herbicides are also pollutants...add chemicals to that list...chemical fertilizers as an example...pretty much anything that finds its way into the rivers and oceans

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: Sabiduria
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I thought you were meaning pollution like garbage and toxins in the air, not a build up of insecticides/pesticides.

i was ...pesticides,herbicides are also pollutants...add chemicals to that list...chemical fertilizers as an example...pretty much anything that finds its way into the rivers and oceans

Honey, I respect your passion; but pesticides and herbicides are chemicals.

originally posted by: FyreByrd

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: Sabiduria
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I thought you were meaning pollution like garbage and toxins in the air, not a build up of insecticides/pesticides.

i was ...pesticides,herbicides are also pollutants...add chemicals to that list...chemical fertilizers as an example...pretty much anything that finds its way into the rivers and oceans

Honey, I respect your passion; but pesticides and herbicides are chemicals.

yes they are and they pollute the eco-systems which no doubt puts out the very fragile balance of nature.....sorry for getting so off topic....back on topic...its not just the residue on the produce that is a worry...what about all these chemicals which are absorbed into the soils and then sucked up in the plants root system ...?

a reply to: FyreByrd

Another reason to start your own garden.

1. Food prices rising
2. Self-sufficiency
3. ...and now to control the chemicals/pesticides