Colony Collapse Disorder and some other stuff
THE UNEXPLAINED ...
Buzz kill! Is this 'bee Armageddon'?
Nature's most valuable workers mysteriously vanishing out of thin air
Posted: April 25, 2010
6:43 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2010 WorldNetDaily What is devastating the world's honeybees?
In what appears to be a honeybee mystery of Armageddon proportions that has baffled scientists and beekeepers, more than one-third of the nation's commercial honeybee population is mysteriously disappearing – and researchers warn the unexplained phenomenon threatens one-third of the American diet.
Entire colonies of honeybees are abandoning hives and food stores, including honey and pollen. In collapsed colonies, adult bees mysteriously disappear, and there is no accumulation of dead bees. Even hive pests such as wax moths and hive beetles are nowhere to be found around affected colonies. Likewise, other honeybees are reluctant or unwilling to rob the abandoned hives of honey.
Only days before a honeybee colony collapses, according to Bee Culture Magazine, the colony appears to be strong and fully functional.
Then, it explains, the affliction travels like a wave through a beeyard.
Researchers have termed the phenomenon Colony Collapse Disorder, a syndrome characterized by sudden disappearance of adult honeybees in a colony.
Why should Americans care?
Experts warn the implications for the world's agriculture are nothing to be ignored: according to the United States Department of Agriculture, a full one-third of the human diet depends on honeybee pollination of crops – especially fruit, nut, vegetable and seed production in the United States.
For the full article click
here.
I heard about Colony Collapse Disorder the first year I did bees. Actually I had two hives that year and one day I went out to look at them and in one hive all the bees were gone. I attributed it to it being my first try and I figured it was just me. Later that year I heard about CCD and wondered if that is what happened to my hive. I still figure it was my lack of experience and they probably took off looking for a better place since I still had one hive intact and friend Dan still had his two hives right next to mine.
I think this CCD thing must be sending shivers down the spines of many bee keepers. I've heard umpteen theories as to what is causing it, everything from pesticides to cell towers. In the above WND article it states that "according to some estimates, there are as many as 200 proposed hypotheses for the phenomenon" . So at present there are a lot of idea's but no real conclusive answers.
For me right now I'm more concerned about a bear tearing apart my hive at this time. So far the bees are doing well. They were bringing in pollen on the second day even. I checked on them yesterday and I saw many bees loaded down with pollen. I've been feeding them raw honey as well and they hungrily drink it up.
Been pretty busy the past few weeks. Got all the grape vines planted, but still need to put up a fence to keep deer out and trellis wires over each row. In the mean time before I get the fence up I slapped together some makeshift scare crows. Seems to be working there haven't been any deer tracks in there at all. They must work because they even scare me. I don't know how many times I've been out working and I think someone is standing there. It always makes me smile at my self for being so easily tricked. And I put them there!
I had to pull off that project and get our movable sheep pen rebuilt. I spent most of last weekend working on that, I still have a little more work to do on it. I made some modifications to it that I think will work well. I'm hoping it will perform better this year than last.
When I'm done I hope to make a post about it with pictures.
Buzz kill! Is this 'bee Armageddon'?
Nature's most valuable workers mysteriously vanishing out of thin air
Posted: April 25, 2010
6:43 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2010 WorldNetDaily What is devastating the world's honeybees?
In what appears to be a honeybee mystery of Armageddon proportions that has baffled scientists and beekeepers, more than one-third of the nation's commercial honeybee population is mysteriously disappearing – and researchers warn the unexplained phenomenon threatens one-third of the American diet.
Entire colonies of honeybees are abandoning hives and food stores, including honey and pollen. In collapsed colonies, adult bees mysteriously disappear, and there is no accumulation of dead bees. Even hive pests such as wax moths and hive beetles are nowhere to be found around affected colonies. Likewise, other honeybees are reluctant or unwilling to rob the abandoned hives of honey.
Only days before a honeybee colony collapses, according to Bee Culture Magazine, the colony appears to be strong and fully functional.
Then, it explains, the affliction travels like a wave through a beeyard.
Researchers have termed the phenomenon Colony Collapse Disorder, a syndrome characterized by sudden disappearance of adult honeybees in a colony.
Why should Americans care?
Experts warn the implications for the world's agriculture are nothing to be ignored: according to the United States Department of Agriculture, a full one-third of the human diet depends on honeybee pollination of crops – especially fruit, nut, vegetable and seed production in the United States.
For the full article click
here.
I heard about Colony Collapse Disorder the first year I did bees. Actually I had two hives that year and one day I went out to look at them and in one hive all the bees were gone. I attributed it to it being my first try and I figured it was just me. Later that year I heard about CCD and wondered if that is what happened to my hive. I still figure it was my lack of experience and they probably took off looking for a better place since I still had one hive intact and friend Dan still had his two hives right next to mine.
I think this CCD thing must be sending shivers down the spines of many bee keepers. I've heard umpteen theories as to what is causing it, everything from pesticides to cell towers. In the above WND article it states that "according to some estimates, there are as many as 200 proposed hypotheses for the phenomenon" . So at present there are a lot of idea's but no real conclusive answers.
For me right now I'm more concerned about a bear tearing apart my hive at this time. So far the bees are doing well. They were bringing in pollen on the second day even. I checked on them yesterday and I saw many bees loaded down with pollen. I've been feeding them raw honey as well and they hungrily drink it up.
Been pretty busy the past few weeks. Got all the grape vines planted, but still need to put up a fence to keep deer out and trellis wires over each row. In the mean time before I get the fence up I slapped together some makeshift scare crows. Seems to be working there haven't been any deer tracks in there at all. They must work because they even scare me. I don't know how many times I've been out working and I think someone is standing there. It always makes me smile at my self for being so easily tricked. And I put them there!
I had to pull off that project and get our movable sheep pen rebuilt. I spent most of last weekend working on that, I still have a little more work to do on it. I made some modifications to it that I think will work well. I'm hoping it will perform better this year than last.
When I'm done I hope to make a post about it with pictures.
posted by RL at 7:34 PM
2 Comments:
i honestly think that GM crops might be at the bottom of the increasing instances of CCD. there is so much we don't know yet. all we can do is pray.
Hi Jayedee,
GM crops are at the top of my personal 'what if' list of what might be causing this. If they insert insecticides into the genetics of crops why wouldn't it kill beneficial insects as well, I wonder. Not to mention, what is it doing to people and animals.
Yes, praying is good.
Thanks for the comment.
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