_pollinating_Avocado_cv._Zutano_(Persea_americana)_flower.JPG.jpg)
The Buzz: The Latest News
Bee by Bee
The New York Times.com, June 30, 2008
IN the closing months of 2006, thousands of American bee hives were found to be almost entirely devoid of bees, victims of a mysterious phenomenon now known as colony collapse disorder. A study of 150,000 managed bee colonies in 15 states, commissioned by the Apiary Inspectors of America, found that from September 2006 to March 2007, roughly one-third of the colonies were lost.
Beekeepers in Oregon worry about die-off levels
Oregon Live.com, June 28, 2008
Last year, Oregon beekeepers were breathing a sigh of relief, after signs that the Pacific Northwest had managed to avoid the disastrous collapse in bee colonies that had hit most of the rest of the country.
But this year is another story.
Bee disappearances could get worse, House panel told
chicagotribune.com, June 26, 2008
A record 36 percent of U.S. commercial bee colonies have been lost to mysterious causes so far this year and worse may be yet to come, experts told a congressional panel Thursday.
The year's bee colony loses are abut twice the usual seen following a typical winter, scientists warn. Despite ambitious new research efforts, the causes remain a mystery.
Disappearance of honey bees could lead to higher food prices, farmers and businessmen tell Congress
Star Tribune.com, June 26, 2008
Food prices could rise even more unless the mysterious decline in honey bees is solved, farmers and businessmen told lawmakers Thursday.
...
The cause behind the disorder remains unknown. Possible explanations include pesticides; a new parasite or pathogen; and the combination of immune-suppressing stresses such as poor nutrition, limited or contaminated water supplies and the need to move bees long distances for pollination.
Killer virus fears as city's famous colony disappears
The Star.co.uk, June 26, 2008
SHEFFIELD'S most famous bee colony has buzzed off - and experts fear it may have fallen foul to the mystery virus which has wiped out billions worldwide.
Curators at Weston Park Museum have revealed not a single honeybee remains in the famous glass hive today.
Sting in the tail is the bees are dying
The Evening News, Edinburgh Paper, June 26, 2008
While beekeepers speculate over a mysterious and so far unidentified syndrome which simply wipes out the populations and on the impact of mobile phone radiowaves – it's thought they might disorientate bees – Alan believes it is more straightforward.
"There has been a considerable erosion of the population over the last three or four years and I believe there are two reasons – our more violent fluctuations in the weather and the impact of disease, in particular varroa.
Häagen-Dazs goes to Hill for honeybees, ice cream
The Hill.com, June 24, 2008
Overall, there is an estimated 35 percent decline in bee colonies for 2008 thus far. Plus, the price of honey has trended upwards since 1998 and was more than a dollar per pound in 2007, according to USDA.
The downturn in the bee population could affect consumers outside of the honey trade. That possibility has prodded Häagen-Dazs into action.
The potential this has on our business would be devastating, so we are trying to be proactive,” said Pien. “We are trying to actively ward off any problems that are coming down the pike.”
Honey Bee Losses Still Increasing
VOAnews.com, Voice of America, June 23, 2008
And bee declines are not limited to the United States. "We're hearing reports from Europe, from Canada, and from South America, even some from Asia – where honeybee populations are collapsing and decreasing."
As mystery plague thereatens to wipe out bees, scientist reveal: our survival depends on them
Mail Online, dailymail.co.uk, June 23, 2008
Sixty years ago, in England and Wales, there were more than 360,000 hives; now there are just 270,000 across the whole of Britain.
But most perplexing of all is that no one knows why this is happening — and what to do about it. Adult bees have been leaving their hives and not returning, leaving their queen, eggs and larvae to starve to death.
This phenomenon has a suitably modern name — Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) — and theories as to what causes it range from mobile phones interfering with the bees’ navigation systems to pesticide poisoning and exposure to GM crops.
More than a year after scientists began investigating, they are still only following vague leads.
Bee die-offs lead to a different kind of buzz
The Evening Sun, June 22, 2008
Honey bees are dying off. A disease called colony collapse disorder, the cause of which is unknown, threatens extinction.
And if they're not here to pollinate, it could mean a crunch in the U.S. and world food supply.
Famine. Starvation. Some fear the worst.
But there is hope.
Activities aim for education on importance of area's bees
The News-Gazette.com, June 21, 2008
Concern over the lack of honey bees or their disappearance in some states has led to the establishment of Pollinator Week (June 22-28, 2008), which begins Sunday.
With scientists concerned about the loss of the bee population, UI entomologists, area gardeners and local honey bee growers are responding with this event, which focuses on current knowledge on the pollinator crisis in North America and ongoing efforts at the UI to raise awareness and promote conservation of pollinators.
New bee checklist lets scientists link important information about all bee species
e! Science News.com, June 18, 2008
In time for National Pollinator Week, June 22 through June 28, biologists have completed an online effort to compile a world checklist of bees. They have identified nearly 19,500 bee species worldwide, about 2,000 more than previously estimated. There is a current crisis known as "colony collapse disorder", an unexplained phenomenon that is wiping out colonies of honey bees throughout the United States. This has highlighted the need for more information about bee species and their interactions with the plants they pollinate.
Beekeepers need more than honey money to combat mite
The Age.com, Australia, June 18, 2008
A new parliamentary report has recommended urgent investment of $50 million into the honey bee and pollination industries to protect them from the Varroa destructor mite, which has already destroyed bee populations around the world.
No country has eradicated Varroa once it has been introduced.
The More than Honey report, tabled by the House of Representatives Primary Industries and Resources Committee on Monday, recommended major changes to the beekeeping industry.
Australia urged to protect its honey worker bees
Reuters.com, June 17, 2008
Australia's honey bees, crucial to worldwide food production, need more protection from foreign invaders that could potentially wipe out their population, a parliamentary report said on Tuesday.
Australia is a major supplier of queen and hive bees to North America, Japan and the Middle East, cashing in on its standing as the only country not to suffer from a deadly bee mite known as the varroa destructor.
Honey bees 'crucial to Aust food security'
ABC News, Australia, June 16, 2008
A federal parliamentary committee is warning that Australia's food security could be compromised if the future of the honey bee and pollination industry is not supported...
...The committee has called for $50 million to be provided to the organisation Pollination Australia for research into biosecurity threats and the future of the industry.
Scientists try to solve bees' disappearing act
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 16, 2008
But the sudden and large population crash from CCD has posed a serious problem for those in the agricultural and food industries: No bees, then no almonds, seedless fruits, many vine crops apples and other produce.
Although many are worried about shrinking honey bee populations, thus far it has not diminished the pollination of crops generally. But the future is uncertain if the crashes continue.
Among others, Whole Foods Market and Haagen-Dazs are throwing money and support for researching the disorder, with Penn State as one of only two institutions in the country receiving funding by the ice cream giant.
Widely Used Pesticide Here Banned in Germany
Lancaster Farming.com, June 13, 2008
Scientists working to solve Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) say there is no evidence that a recently banned chemical in Germany has anything to do with bee die-offs in the U.S.
But that doesn't mean it should be ruled out as a possible cause of the disorder.
Disease Crippling Biggest Bee Hives
Only 5% of Beekeepers Are Affected by Colony Collapse Disorder. That 5% Matters. A Lot.
thedailygreen.com, June 11, 2008
The beekeepers that lost honey bees last fall and winter to CCD were predominately commercial and large side line beekeepers. Whether that’s because they are the beekeepers who were able to note the causes of their problems (CCD-like symptoms), or just those who were reporting them is unclear.
Dying colonies sting beekeepers
Industry asks Ottawa for $60-million in aid and research as bee populations plummet
theglobeandmail.com, June 11, 2008
The number of commercial bee colonies in Canada has shrunk by 155,000, or 26 per cent, this year, according to industry figures (a colony can hold as many as 50,000 bees). Last year the total fell 29 per cent. That's far above the 15 per cent annual loss beekeepers can typically withstand and still stay in business.
The plummeting bee population has not only caused havoc for beekeepers and honey makers, it has also hurt fruit farmers and canola growers who rely on bees to pollinate crops. By some estimates, bees add $1-billion to the Canadian agricultural sector.
Pesticide failure blamed for declining bee population
CBCnews.ca, June 10, 2008
Pesticides designed to protect honeybees are losing their effectiveness, say agricultural researchers, leading to a second year in a row of heavy colony losses across Canada.
With the reduced effectiveness of pesticides, two varieties of parasitic mites, one called the varroa mite, the other called the tracheal mite, have again played havoc with bee colonies. Other factors, including a longer winter and wetter spring in some regions and a failure to control a newly introduced virus called Nosema ceranae have led to widespread colony losses.
Beekeepers baffled by dwindling numbers
KTUU.com, June 08, 2008
According to the USDA, there's evidence of honeybee disappearances in the 1880s and the 1920s. But there's no way to know if the problems were caused by the same thing causing the CCD.
Scientists have looked at a number of possibilities from pesticides, to a new parasite, to even stress level but no one can come up with a conclusive answer.
Corporations launching bee preservation efforts
PalmBeachPost.com, June 08, 2008
A growing number of corporations are stepping up to help the honeybee...
...to call attention to Colony Collapse Disorder, the mysterious malady that is shrinking bee populations nationwide.
Troubled Bee Colonies Go it Alone
Keepers of the Endangered Insects Say Action Is Needed to Prevent Food Shortages
The Washington Independent.com, June 04, 2008
But most beekeepers and researchers say that pesticides may just be one of several causes, including multiple suspicious viruses, working together to form a lethal combination that kills off bees. Since there are so many variables at play -- and some of those variables actually change based on certain conditions -- the equation is complicated at best. Beekeepers say it’s not unsolvable, though –- that it requires attention from people with the resources and the power to find the answers. That attention, they say, is exactly what CCD is not getting.
EcoChef: Bee troubles changing industry
insideBayArea.com, June 03, 2008
Over the past years, bees have suffered a serious decline. In 2007, the USDA calculated that 25 percent of the beehives across the United States lost up to 45 percent of their bees. This year, the losses appear to be worse. Scientists are calling this phenomenon Colony Collapse Disorder, and blame a combination of mites, beetles, viruses, chemicals and stress as major causes.
Roll is among a new breed of beekeepers who are experimenting with radical ideas to confront these issues.
Global scourge clips wings of Lebanon's beekeepers
Crucial links in food chain are dying in record numbers
The Daily Star Lebanon, June 03, 2008
Dany Obeid of the Lebanese non-governmental organization Programme Environnement DEHO Arcenciel, an insect specialist and beekeeper himself, argues that "most of the problems are caused by the beekeepers themselves because they keep using the same pesticide, which results in resistance."
Experts are hustling to come up with organic, eco-friendly mite repellents in order to save the bees. Many apiarists - scientists who study bees - in Lebanon and other countries have found success with bee feed mixtures made from spicy spearmint oil, sugar, lemongrass and formic acid (an acidic mixture made from distilled dead ants). When mites try to suck the blood of the bees, they are repelled by the spearmint or acid.