Honeybee death mystery deepens

Honeybee death mystery deepens

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – A one-two punch by a gut parasite and viruses may help explain the mysterious decline in U.S. honeybees seen over the last four years. Bees infected with both the fungal parasite Nosema ceranae and with any one of a handful of RNA viruses were much more likely to have come from hives on the decline than from healthy hives, researchers reported May 25 at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. The finding represents a new twist in a complex and multifaceted scientific problem, termed colony collapse disorder, made urgent by the continuing and severe losses suffered by U.S. beekeepers beginning in 2006. About a quarter of beekeepers have been affected, according to the Apiary Inspectors of America, an industry group. These beekeepers, including honey producers as well as many who lease out their bees to pollinate food crops, have reported losing between 30 and 90 percent of their hives. The latest nationwide survey, of 2009-2010 winter losses, revealed more than 30 percent of hives were lost for a variety of reasons.

Source

I saw the thread about bees and cellphone radiation and decided to do some searching. Thought I would share this.

I really hope this rebounds. As a kid growing up, i used to spend a lot of time at my grandparents, between Clint and Fabens, TX. During the summer, the farms out there are in full gear. The smell of fresh cut alfalfa, bags of sweet yellow onions, fruits and veggies of all kinds.

But that alfalfa smell still lingers as an escort of such fond memories. My grandad had 5 beehives. Fresh honey, with bees legs still in it, stuck to the comb in a Mason jar.

Man, i had it good as a kid.

What MSM fails to mention is that bees are more common in the cities and suburbs, one reason is because there are more varied plant life in these areas of large populations where people grow all sorts of flowers in comparison to megafarms which grow only one kind of crop for miles, despite cities and suburbs being polluted with wireless signals, supposedly the cause of bee die-offs, ignoring that around the time these wireless signals were increasing, monoagriculture was taking over small family farms, replacing flowers with one source of plant, and if these bees are suffering from malnutrition they can't survive their fungal infections and other maladies.

Like people these bees need varied diets and if they are being shuttled around the country by beekeepers to pollinate apple tree farms they're going to end up with malnutrition.

S&F OP, I have often wondered if the migration of the Africanized Honeybee could be a factor regarding the dieing off of the Bees.

This USDA Honey Bee Research site has a pretty up to date map of the Africanized Bee's Migration since the 90's.



Perhaps the Honey Bee's aren't becoming extinct as more as they are being replaced due to natural selection. The sad part is the African variety are having trouble because of the "bad name" they're getting. They are more dangerous and will attack in droves to defend their hive, but maybe that's the point!

There is also this article that could be due to the info in the OP:

Africanized honey bees - the march north has slowed

On October 15, 1990, the Africanized honey bee--also known as the "killer bee"--finally reached the United States. A swarm was found in an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) honey bee trap just outside the south Texas town of Hidalgo.

The arrival did not come as a surprise to ARS scientists. Researchers had been monitoring the northward movement of Africanized honey bees for years.

The progenitors of the Africanized honey bee were brought from Africa to Brazil in 1956 by a Brazilian geneticist. In 1957, some of those bees escaped into the wild and interbred with existing honey bee populations, resulting in the infamous hybrid.

Just a notion

[edit on 6/2/2010 by UberL33t]

Originally posted by star in a jar
What MSM fails to mention is that bees are more common in the cities and suburbs, one reason is because there are more varied plant life in these areas of large populations where people grow all sorts of flowers in comparison to megafarms which grow only one kind of crop for miles, despite cities and suburbs being polluted with wireless signals, supposedly the cause of bee die-offs,

I'm in a major urban center, with a massive urban garden, and have bees galore. AllL different sizes, colors, etc. Some are hairy and others are super shiny. Some are honey bees, I'm almost certain.

[edit on 2-6-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Hasn't this been solved already? Organic (fancy term for natural) bees weren't affected at all. It was only the farmed (fancy term for zombie) bees.

Maybe this is an excuse to bio-engineer bees. Waddaya think?

reply to post by UberL33t


I have been wondering that myself and I thank you for the contribution. I'm a little too sleepy to research at the moment, but hopefully later in the week I will be able to delve a bit further.

reply to post by eldard


I'm not sure if this has been solved. I would appreciate some links if it has been. So if I understand you correctly only the 'organic' bee population has been disturbed? I find that fascinating, and rather frightening.

Sorry for posting twice in a row, I need to pay more attention to my threads.

Honeybees are dying because of the poison spray.

Farmers, if you want honeybees, stop spraying.

Also it cause MS in people, and probably cancer.

Why not go back to the old ways?

Originally posted by star in a jar
bees are more common in the cities and suburbs, one reason is because there are more varied plant life in these areas of large populations where people grow all sorts of flowers in comparison to megafarms which grow only one kind of crop for miles

I believe this would be the most important thing I have read about bee's disappearing in a long time. I read some guys thesis at university about bee populations, rather good. He mentioned this, but didn't delve into it much, as it requires resources far beyond his own to research. But he did mention how cities with these varieties of flowers have been around longer than the tumbling bee population..

reply to post by catwhoknows


I would ask that you provide links to your claims. Not because I doubt their validity, but because I (and other members) would like to read them.

reply to post by Raustin


Hi Raustin,

I am too busy to do that - just google it.

Sorry about that.

Chemtrails/clouds.
.
No mystery.

reply to post by Raustin


I am not too busy.

But I think if people google it themselves they are more inclined to believe.

reply to post by NWOWILLFALL


Meh, whatever. I'm very critical of the chemtrail crowd. It seems we are loosing the bees, and most would agree. I can't fault anyone for popping into one of my threads and ridiculing it, I have done the same many times. I just don't think I am making any crazy statements, seems the scientific community recognizes this as a problem. Without the bees, no plants, without the plants, no steak. I like my steak, so I'm a little worried about it. Of course it may be alarmist, but this is ATS. Now pass me the A1.

reply to post by Raustin


The planet is dying, thanks to mankind.

Mankind is dying, thanks to the actions of mankind.

That is why the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees are dying.

And why animals are becoming extinct.

But we don't care - because we are also becoming extinct. And because we don't care - what a species!

reply to post by catwhoknows


It's fun to say things! I say stuff too! We probably would get along if we met outside the net, but back up claims or kindly stop posting. I agree, us humans suck and have a tendency to mess everything up but random whining is just that, a slight buzz in the ear. Hit us with some facts or please go away.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


mmm.. I love the taste of bee-leg honey.



I've seen the evidence for Cell Phone radiation (mostly from towers I believe it was) .. but the towers have been around for ages, as have cell phones and such, so It'd be hard to blame the decline on cell phones if it just started happening, and years after cell phones are introduced. But I wonder if "3g/4g" cellular internet (and wi/fi) could have something to do with it.. larger data packages or something?

The virus excuse doesn't hold much ground for me because well... you'd expect to find hives full of dead bees.. but all the hives were empty.

reply to post by Raustin
Am I making any crazy statements?
Are their giant x's over your house damn near everyday?

reply to post by Raustin


No. Natural bees were not affected. Only the farmed bees as they are quite fattened up compared to not non-zombie bees (fatasses take heed!. )

I can't find a mainstream source but I read up on this a few years ago as I subscribe to four free alternative medicine newsletters. www.google.com...