Debunked: Monsanto to replace honey bees with genetically engineered ants

[deirdre]

Claim:
[Bunk]Monsanto Scientists are trying to create genetically engineered ants to replace honey bees that are being killed off by Monsanto pesticides.

http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/genetically-modified-ants-could-replace-honey-bees-claims-monsanto-expert/ [/Bunk]

The $3 million dollar grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has led the team of researchers at Monsanto to develop alternative strategies to "survive" an eventual honey bee Colony collapse disorder (CCD), a phenomenon that has been increasing in the past decade and that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear, a situation that could "dramatically impact the world's food supply", admit experts.

"Latest studies have found a link between neonicotinoid pesticides that are vastly used in GE corn crops. As GE farming has become an essential part of agriculture in today's modern world, we had to develop ways to promote both the continuity of GE farming and the survival of the honey bees, a fascinating challenge" admits John Leere, head biochemist of the project.

The World News Daily report is a satire website. which is stated on their Legal Notices page

WNDR assumes however all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content. All characters appearing in the articles in this website – even those based on real people – are entirely fictional and any resemblance between them and any persons, living, dead, or undead is purely a miracle. http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/disclaimer/

The fake Monsanto scientist featured in this satiricial article as "John Leere, head biochemist of the project."





is really Robert Harrod of Southern Methodist University. the picture is stolen from this cancer/aids research article from June 2008 http://blog.smu.edu/research/2008/06/01/aids-cancer-targeted-by-biology-researchers/

In his third-floor laboratory in Dedman Life Sciences Building, biologist Robert Harrod and his team are zeroing in on a new way to inhibit the virus that causes AIDS.

From the Southern Methodist University staff directory:

http://www.smu.edu/Dedman/FacultyAndStaff/Directory/HarrodRobertL

 

[Trailspotter]

Monsanto Scientists are trying to create genetically engineered ants to replace honey bees that are being killed off by Monsanto pesticides.

What a marvellous idea! Would they make these ants to keep their wings?

 

[deirdre]

What a marvellous idea!

ew. no.

i don't want flying ants everywhere that are resistent to insecticides! i know they dont eat our houses but they do chew them. and it's super icky!

 

[Trailspotter]

ew. no.

i don't want flying ants everywhere that are resistent to insecticides! i know they dont eat our houses but they do chew them. and it's super icky!

But ants are just wingless wasps. Surely, you are used to wasps sharing al fresco meals with you.
And honey ants collect and store honey, just like bees.

 

[deirdre]

But ants are just wingless wasps. Surely, you are used to wasps sharing al fresco meals with you.
And honey ants collect and store honey, just like bees.

wasps arent everywhere (at least where i live) and if you spray their nest with a hose they disappear. ants ARE everywhere! if you get a wasp in your house they dont crawl on you, they don't 'go for' your food, they dont send a telegraph out and invite their mates either as far as i know they also dont use the wood of your house to make their nests. and they let you know they are near you because they make noise.

ants are icky.

 

[Spectrar Ghost]

Carpenter Ants nest in wood houses. Big suckers, too: the ones we used to have in Maine were usually upwards of half an inch.

Oops, misread that as meaning ants. On the other hand, Carpenter Bees are a thing too.