Bees Are Dying

[Steve Funk]

http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/if-the-bees-die-we-will-follow/

If the bees are succumbing to farm chemicals, why are they just as dead a thousand miles into the wilderness?

Dane, since you don't allow anyone who disagrees to comment on your site, maybe you could discuss this here.
http://www.wilderness.net/map Here is a map of wilderness areas in the US. As you can see, it is impossible to get 1000 miles into the wilderness. The wilderness areas aren't that big. And since beekeeping generally isn't allowed in wilderness, how would you determine mortality? Of course, bees do die in the wilderness. Worker bees have a maximum lifespan of six months. http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/how-long-do-bees-live.html

 

[Bill]

The study in question seems to be well thought out and the discussion shows that the study just raises more questions. The gist of the study is that bees exposed to sublethal levals neonicitinoids don't survive the winter as wells as bees not exposed to neonicitinoids. It draws no conclusions about why this happens and instead suggest areas for further study. There is no mention of geo-engineering and no call for action beyond suggesting areas for additional study.

Abstract

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony collapse disorder (CCD) that appeared in 2005/2006 still lingers in many parts of the world.
Here we show that sub-lethal exposure of neonicotinoids, imidacloprid or clothianidin, affected the winterization of healthy colonies
that subsequently leads to CCD. We found honey bees in both control and neonicotinoid-treated groups progressed almost
identically through the summer and fall seasons and observed no acute morbidity or mortality in either group until the end of winter.
Bees from six of the twelve neonicotinoid-treated colonies had abandoned their hives, and were eventually dead with symptoms
resembling CCD. However, we observed a complete opposite phenomenon in the control colonies in which instead of abandonment,
they were re-populated quickly with new emerging bees. Only one of the six control colonies was lost due to Nosemalike
infection. The observations from this study may help to elucidate the mechanisms by which sub-lethal neonicotinoids exposure
caused honey bees to vanish from their hives

.

It is an example of a very basic study that has been sensationalized by the Russian Times and then picked up and futher sensationalized by Dane. Bad science reporting by both parties!
http://www.bulletinofinsectology.org/pdfarticles/vol67-2014-125-130lu.pdf

Edit: I just want to add one complaint. With the exception of their access to sophisticated equipment to analyze neonicotinoid levels this is basically a good high school science project that might be titled "Do Honeybees Colonies That Have Been Exposed To Poisons Have Shorter Lifespans Than Unexposed Honeybees". It's disappointing that Harvard is producing this level of scientific research.

 

[Oxymoron]

http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/if-the-bees-die-we-will-follow/

If the bees are succumbing to farm chemicals, why are they just as dead a thousand miles into the wilderness?

Dane, since you don't allow anyone who disagrees to comment on your site, maybe you could discuss this here.
http://www.wilderness.net/map Here is a map of wilderness areas in the US. As you can see, it is impossible to get 1000 miles into the wilderness. The wilderness areas aren't that big. And since beekeeping generally isn't allowed in wilderness, how would you determine mortality? Of course, bees do die in the wilderness. Worker bees have a maximum lifespan of six months. http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/how-long-do-bees-live.html

So what is the demographic of CCD? Appears to only be happening in the U.S, Europe and 'the West' in general, with the emphasis on the U.S. Is that right?

 

[Hama Neggs]

From Danes page:

In some counties of Northern California, the insect populations have already declined some 90% as measured by a US Forest Service biologist.

That can't possibly be true. The biologist noted there must be Mangles.

 

[pseacraft]

Now if only Dane and company could harness that awesome knowledge into controlling Africanized Bees aka Killer Bees and Fire Ants! Oh, wait they didn't really do anything...

 

[Mick West]

So what is the demographic of CCD? Appears to only be happening in the U.S, Europe and 'the West' in general, with the emphasis on the U.S. Is that right?

I don't think the percentage is much higher in the US, that's just where most of the bees are. Europe does seem to be a bit patchier - which is an obvious mark against the "chemtrail" theory, as Western Europe is fairly evenly covered in plane traffic. The US has larger scale agriculture - and probably has a similar patchy distribution based on local geography.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder#Scope_and_distribution

I see torpid bees in my yard. This is a new thing, but is more easily attributed to me not having a yard before.

 

[Jason]

After news broke in late 2006 about Bees' CCD, a CCD steering committee was formed to study and implement a BMP (Best Management Practice) to counter the affects of CCD with honey bees in the US. The committee was also formed to help coordinate a federal response to the issue, and was made up of scientist from the both the private and government sectors. As others have noted above, pesticides are determined to play a role in CCD, but more research is needed. As of now it seems like the most likely reason for CCD could be a number of reasons, ranging from stress, pathogens, parasitic mites, bacteria, and pesticides. Studies need to determine if the colonies that had access to these pesticides left the hive because of pesticides solely or were there multiple causes at play. Bee colonies are in decline in areas of the world that don't have pesticides available, so it seems unlikely that pesticides are the "only culprit for decline.

I would also caution that science and technology have come a long way, and while bees are very important to our ecosystem, we have the technology in place to self pollinate. Obviously, cost would increase significantly but it wouldn't be the end of the world..

http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp

Why are the bees leaving? Scientists studying the disorder believe a combination of factors could be making bees sick, including pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, an inadequate food supply and a new virus that targets bees' immune systems. More research is essential to determine the exact cause of the bees' distress.

http://www.usda.gov/documents/ReportHoneyBeeHealth.pdf

Highlights of Research Review
 Consensus is building that a complex set of stressors and pathogens is associated
with CCD, and researchers are increasingly using multi-factorial approaches to
studying causes of colony losses
 The parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains the single most detrimental pest of
honey bees, and is closely associated with overwintering colony declines.
 Multiple virus species have been associated with CCD.
 Varroa is known to cause amplified levels of viruses.
 The bacterial disease European foulbrood is being detected more often in the U.S.
and may be linked to colony loss.
 Nutrition has a major impact on individual bee and colony longevity.
 Research indicates that gut microbes associated with honey bees play key roles in
enhancement of nutrition, detoxification of chemicals, and protection against
diseases.
 Acute and sublethal effects of pesticides on honey bees have been increasingly
documented, and are a primary concern. Further tier 2 (semi-field conditions) and
tier 3 (field conditions) research is required to establish the risks associated with
pesticide exposure to U.S. honey bee declines in general.
 Genomic insights from sequencing the honey bee genome are now widely used to
understand and address major questions of breeding, parasite interactions, novel
controls (e.g., RNAi), and management to make bees less stressed and more
productive.
 Long-term cryopreservation of honey bee semen has been successfully developed
and provides the means for long-term preservation of "top-tier" domestic honey
bee germplasm for breeding. Genetic variation improves bee thermoregulation,
disease resistance and worker productivity.
 The most pressing pesticide research questions lie in determining the actual field-
relevant pesticide exposure bees receive and the effects of pervasive exposure to
multiple pesticides on bee health and productivity of whole honey bee colonies.

 

[Jazzy]

I see torpid bees in my yard.

"Torpid" is such a great adjective.

 

[Jason]

I also wonder if any studies have been done with respect to global temperature rises playing a role in this. Not so much the rise in temps, but possibly the seasonal affects these temps might have on bee colonies in terms of hibernation. Seasons like Spring seem to be coming earlier, and fall is lasting longer. Maybe a couple of weeks could also have an effect on how they foriage and hibernate. Or what about pollution, bees breathe O2 just like humans and expell CO2 but they do it with diffusion, not lungs per say . Could pollution change the air quality where some bees colonize?

And do they know for sure that the bees leaving the hive actually die? Do they or can they account for all the bees that left a hive. Could bees be migrating to another hive or another area for their survival?

 

[Pete Tar]

I see torpid bees in my yard.

Sugar water can help them.

 

[Balance]

Sugar water can help them.

Yes, it's common to find bees on the ground during high winds as they get blown off course and run out of energy. A boost such as you say (I often use jam juice) offered to them usually sees them readily suck it up and within a few minutes restart their engines and off they go!

 

[Belfrey]

One thing to keep in mind is that honey bees (Apis mellifera) are not native to North America. They are an important part of how we manage our agricultural systems, but that particular bee species is not necessary for the natural ecosystem - and can actually compete with our native bees.

 

[Jazzy]

I also wonder if any studies have been done with respect to global temperature rises playing a role in this. Not so much the rise in temps, but possibly the seasonal affects these temps might have on bee colonies in terms of hibernation. Seasons like Spring seem to be coming earlier, and fall is lasting longer. Maybe a couple of weeks could also have an effect on how they foriage and hibernate. Or what about pollution, bees breathe O2 just like humans and expell CO2 but they do it with diffusion, not lungs per say . Could pollution change the air quality where some bees colonize?

And do they know for sure that the bees leaving the hive actually die? Do they or can they account for all the bees that left a hive. Could bees be migrating to another hive or another area for their survival?

It's not likely that temperature/atmospheric variations would extinguish them. Earth's history is replete with such variations, and the bees' ancestors managed to survive them. Their mobility must have helped.

 

[Jason]

It's not likely that temperature/atmospheric variations would extinguish them. Earth's history is replete with such variations, and the bees' ancestors managed to survive them. Their mobility must have helped.

That's what I was referring to. Could it be possible that the decline in bees could be attributed to migration? And I say this because most of the studies done are in confined to experiments or in a lab. I doubt they actually put locator devices on the bees within a hive to find out if they are in fact dying. Maybe they are assuming death because they left the hive and didn't return.

 

[Belfrey]

That's what I was referring to. Could it be possible that the decline in bees could be attributed to migration? And I say this because most of the studies done are in confined to experiments or in a lab. I doubt they actually put locator devices on the bees within a hive to find out if they are in fact dying. Maybe they are assuming death because they left the hive and didn't return.

If the workers are leaving the nest and not returning, then they are effectively dying, because they can't go off and start their own nests - and the colony is effectively dying, because the workers are necessary for the functions of the hive. Honey bees function as a family unit, for the most part with one reproductive female queen, many non-reproductive female workers, and some male drones. One of the signs that distinguishes "colony collapse disorder" from the abandonment of a nest to establish at a new site, is that the queen remains but the workers are missing.

 

[Jason]

If the workers are leaving the nest and not returning, then they are effectively dying, because they can't go off and start their own nests - and the colony is effectively dying, because the workers are necessary for the functions of the hive. Honey bees function as a family unit, for the most part with one reproductive female queen, many non-reproductive female workers, and some male drones. One of the signs that distinguishes "colony collapse disorder" from the abandonment of a nest to establish at a new site, is that the queen remains but the workers are missing.

Could the bees be tricked or manipulated into going to a different hive and serving a different queen?

 

[Svartbjørn]

Could the bees be tricked or manipulated into going to a different hive and serving a different queen?

Bees are like ants, they use chemical signals to IFF. If a bee from another colony enters a hive, itll be attacked by the guard drones. They're pretty social otherwise, they dont mind being in the same area as other colonies.. just stay the hell away from mamma.

 

[blargo]

Bees are like ants, they use chemical signals to IFF. If a bee from another colony enters a hive, itll be attacked by the guard drones. They're pretty social otherwise, they dont mind being in the same area as other colonies.. just stay the hell away from mamma.

Yes and the queen puts out a distinct pheromone that the workers identify and guard. Workers will try and steal honey from another hive if they can get away with it. I had that happen to one of my hives. I had one hive disappear during the winter, no idea what happened. Usually there is a decent amount of dead bees outside the hive at the end of winter, this time there was none. I had checked on them in late fall on a warmer day and there were plenty for the winter, checked again in March and they were all gone, left 80% of the honey that was there for the winter.

 

[Jason]

Yes and the queen puts out a distinct pheromone that the workers identify and guard. Workers will try and steal honey from another hive if they can get away with it. I had that happen to one of my hives. I had one hive disappear during the winter, no idea what happened. Usually there is a decent amount of dead bees outside the hive at the end of winter, this time there was none. I had checked on them in late fall on a warmer day and there were plenty for the winter, checked again in March and they were all gone, left 80% of the honey that was there for the winter.

I was doing some reading, and I found out that often when a bee hive gets invaded by a parasite or a pathogen, the queen and her swarm will leave the hive in search for another place to build a hive. I also read somewhere that when there is a virgin queen present, in some cases the mated queen will leave with half the colony to build another hive, while the virgin queen stays behind with the other half.

 

[blargo]

I was doing some reading, and I found out that often when a bee hive gets invaded by a parasite or a pathogen, the queen and her swarm will leave the hive in search for another place to build a hive. I also read somewhere that when there is a virgin queen present, in some cases the mated queen will leave with half the colony to build another hive, while the virgin queen stays behind with the other half.

Yes that is true from spring to early summer, sometimes you see the swarms on the local news. They will not do that in fall or winter, they hunker down.

 

[Jason]

Yes that is true from spring to early summer, sometimes you see the swarms on the local news. They will not do that in fall or winter, they hunker down.

Have you witnessed this CCD? What are your thoughts on it since you are an experienced bee keeper? Do you use pesticides or fertilizers where your bees pollinate? Also with all of this news surfacing about pesticides how does it affect beekeepers who rent their hives to farmers all over the world. I've seen stories where farmers will rent local or distant bee colonies to help pollinate their crop, do the beekeepers make sure that these farmers aren't using pesticides on their farm that are harmfull to the bees, or is making money a priority. I also wonder if any of these colonies are experiencing declines. Also who gets to keep the honey, the farmer or the beekeeper in these situations?

 

[blargo]

Have you witnessed this CCD? What are your thoughts on it since you are an experienced bee keeper

I am an amateur backyard bee keeper. I have lost hives in the past, 1 was totally my fault the other two I am not sure. I believe that one of the hives was CCD, that was the one that vanished in the winter with no trace, not 100% sure, did not have any experts come in.

 

[Pete Tar]

Workers will try and steal honey from another hive if they can get away with it.

How do they do that? They can fly with the pollen that becomes honey sticking to them, but how do they carry honey?

 

[blargo]

How do they do that? They can fly with the pollen that becomes honey sticking to them, but how do they carry honey?

Here is a good article on robber bees: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2013/06/28/managing-hive-robbing-behavior-in-bees/

Generally, robbing occurs especially during a dearth, or scarcity, of nectar. Bees will never rob during a nectar flow or as long as abundant nectar is available in the field. As nectar becomes more scare, the intensity of robbing increases. Strong colonies rob the weaker ones or those that are poorly guarded. The robber bees are the forager, or scout, bees. They are after honey, and do not steal pollen or damage brood.

 

[Belfrey]

How do they do that? They can fly with the pollen that becomes honey sticking to them, but how do they carry honey?

They use the same foregut structure (the crop) that they normally use to carry nectar.

 

[Pete Tar]

Derp - so pollen isn't used for honey? I'll have to read up.
I thought I had something wrong. Of course, bees are after the nectar which they feed to the larvae, which is the flowers way of tricking the bee into dispersing its pollen.

 

[Belfrey]

Derp - so pollen isn't used for honey? I'll have to read up.
I thought I had something wrong. Of course, bees are after the nectar which they feed to the larvae, which is the flowers way of tricking the bee into dispersing its pollen.

The honey is nectar that has been concentrated and modified with digestive acids and enzymes. Pollen is also collected and used as a protein source (although of course enough of it is also transferred from flower to flower to facilitate pollination).