# What's Killing All The Honeybees...



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Scientists May Have Finally Pinpointed What's Killing All The Honeybees
(duh)

Where have all the honeybees gone?

A new study seems to strengthen the evidence linking pesticides used on crops to colony collapse disorder in honeybees.

Colony collapse disorder, or CCD, is a phenomenon in which honeybees inexplicably disappear from their hives. The bodies of the dead bees are typically never found.

Researchers led by Chensheng Lu of Harvard University have pinpointed the collapse of honeybee colonies on a class of pesticides known as neoniotinoids - insecticides that also act as nerve poisons and mimic the effects of nicotine. Scientists specifically looked at how low doses of two neoniotinoids - imidacloprid and clothianidin - affected healthy bee hives over the course of a winter.

The results of the study "reinforce the conclusion that sub-lethal exposure to neonicotinoids is likely the main culprit for the occurrence of CCD," the authors wrote in their paper, published May 9 in the Bulletin of Insectology.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/scientists-may-finally-pinpointed-whats-221000439.html


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Can you say Roundup?

We control weeds with goats, cattle, chickens, weedeaters and hoes..... (the kind you work with, not play with)


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

So the question is, with that knowledge in hand, will the Government do it anything about it? While this is certainly not my area of expertise it sure seems like the companies that make money off of killing us slowly have too many politicians in their pocket for anything to change.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Sentry18 said:


> So the question is, with that knowledge in hand, will the Government do it anything about it? While this is certainly not my area of expertise it sure seems like the companies that make money off of killing us slowly have too many politicians in their pocket for anything to change.


Monsanto..Dow Agri..Bayer..


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Sentry18 said:


> will the Government do it anything about it?


The government will do little to nothing. (IMO) The bee community (folks who raise and rent hives) have be working with fruit and veggie farms for years. (Think organic)

We the people also have a say in the matter ... Each time we buy food, we send a message, either we are alright with the system or not. Remember Dolphin safe tuna ... We the people (consumers) have the power to change the out come.

Or not ...


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

The bee population seems to be great here. I catch more wild swarms every year. I keep hearing about the bee decline, but I don't see it here.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

hashbrown said:


> The bee population seems to be great here. I catch more wild swarms every year. I keep hearing about the bee decline, but I don't see it here.


We don't have a problem here in Camden County either, but my guess is that It's because we don't have big Agri-business.

BTW hashbrown, if you're ever at the Lake of the Ozarks let me know, I'll buy you a cup of Coffee.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

camo2460 said:


> BTW hashbrown, if you're ever at the Lake of the Ozarks let me know, I'll buy you a cup of Coffee.


Y'all can meet up in Springfield


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

LincTex said:


> Y'all can meet up in Springfield


Hey, that's a good idea. Thanks LT.


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

camo2460 said:


> We don't have a problem here in Camden County either, but my guess is that It's because we don't have big Agri-business.
> 
> BTW hashbrown, if you're ever at the Lake of the Ozarks let me know, I'll buy you a cup of Coffee.


We have a place up by Lebanon, I'll hollar next we go check on it. If y'all get down in the Branson area shoot me a pm.


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## worldengineer (Sep 20, 2010)

I just got started into bee keeping this year. Started with one hive then caught a swarm a few days ago and going to get another soon.

I can't say I know much cause I don't, but we say honey bee decline, don't we actually mean a return to natural? North America did not have any honey bees until Europeans came aboard.

I hate that they are dying off its part of the reason I started myself. Its part pesticide, part our incessant need to mow and bushog every tall weed we see. Which only takes away from the bees food sources.


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

I'm going this afternoon to remove these bees from the floor of a cabin. This will make the second hive I've caught this week.


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## recoilless_57mm (Oct 15, 2012)

For what it is worth. I have had this discussion with a bee keeper of 50+ years. He has sat on some of the national and state organizations for half of those years. It is his opinion that the bees are being killed off by some if not all the GMO and round up ready plants that they feed on. Some of the research that has been done suggests that some of the pesticides that are used on these hardened and modified plants pass through to the bees. It becomes cumulative in their systems which kills them. There has been a lot of research done on this issue of late. Some to protect the GMO seed companies and some that strongly suggests they are in fact at fault. Contact your local state and federal organizations to learn more. Also get to know other bee keepers in the area and talk to them. If I am not mistaken most of the issue lead back to the feeding of corn syrup to the bees. This has been one of the most modified crops out there. Some of these chemicals have been found in trace amounts in the products made from them, ie, corn syrup. Some have stopped feeding corn syrup to their colonies with varied success. I can understand your concern with this issue of our bees dying. I can't think of another insect that can or does the task of pollination as well as the honey bee. There are others but, I don't see any equals.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

RevWC said:


> Monsanto..Dow Agri..Bayer..


Look at who is _in charge_ of the regulating agencies. What companies did they come from, and where will they go back to? Foxes guarding the henhouse. Nothing will be done.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

It's getting worse, not better.

http://ecowatch.com/2014/02/07/epa-approves-another-pesticide-toxic-bees/



> Flying in the face of recent science demonstrating that pollinator populations are declining, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made the decision to unconditionally register another pesticide that is known to be highly toxic to bees-almost one year after the EPA registered sulfoxaflor, disregarding concerns from beekeepers and environmental groups.
> 
> The announcement, posted in the Federal Register on Wednesday, set tolerances for the pesticide cyantraniliprole in foods ranging from almonds and berries, to leafy vegetables, onions and milk. The EPA establishes the allowable limit of the chemical residue, called tolerances, based on what the EPA considers "acceptable" risk. The EPA's ruling details that "there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to the pesticide residue," despite all evidence that cyantraniliprole is toxic to bees and harmful to mammals.... (continues at link above)


So the Environmental Poison (er, um _Protection_) Agency just approved something that is not only toxic to bees but harmful to you and me too. If you're not growing your own poison free food or at least buying organic....


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## recoilless_57mm (Oct 15, 2012)

With renewed interest I spoke with the gentleman I referred to in my prior post. He corrected me on my description of what seems to happen when the bees are consuming pollen from roundup ready crops. He says it appears to alter or attack the immune system of the bee. He says it is much like the HIV virus in humans. This exposes the colony to collapse because they have little or no resistance to their common infections.

recoilless


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

If one didn't know any better they'd say there's a culling of the bees...happening :ignore:


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## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

hashbrown said:


> The bee population seems to be great here. I catch more wild swarms every year. I keep hearing about the bee decline, but I don't see it here.


*tongue in cheek* That explains it! The colonies aren't collapsing, they're migrating to Missourah!


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

Ezmerelda said:


> *tongue in cheek* That explains it! The colonies aren't collapsing, they're migrating to Missourah!


Whatevs..... I have had bees since 1980 that's better than 30 years! There are more wild bees here than anytime I have ever seen. Here are the bees I've caught in the last week. I think it's all BS!


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

hashbrown said:


> I think it's all BS!


Not for us ... sorry...


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

*Andi said:


> Not for us ... sorry...


For what it's worth the bees that make their living off the oak trees have no problems........


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Our bees have been unaffected as well but I know for certain that many large (around 100 hives or more) apiaries were decimated a few years back in our general area. Saw some of it myself and heard it from trustworthy individuals as well. There is a lot of stuff they do that we don't, and our bees are not around a lot of the chemicals theirs have to deal with :dunno:


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

*Andi said:


> Not for us ... sorry...


Not for us out here in the Pacific coast region either. I can't tell you how often I've seen large flatbed trucks stacked with bee hives headed North or South heading for blossoming fruit and nut trees in Washington, Oregon and California. Pollination is a multimillion dollar deal and colony collapse has hurt a lot of bee keepers out here, first it was two types of mite and then this latest which may be a combination of GMO,wrong type of sugars and one pesticide I've heard about that contained nicotanites(sp?) I will say that it seems than locally bees are recovering quite well. Talking about bee using other sugars that nectar, I saw pictures of multicolored honey combs because the bees had brought back stuff from reject M&M syrup that had been thrown out somewhere. Couldn't be sold because of purity laws.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

My neighbor has been taking care of bee hives for a number of years but was a bit concerned that they were down to three hives due to them swarming away and then they started finding swarms and ended up with a total of twenty, talk about a blessing.


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## recoilless_57mm (Oct 15, 2012)

It would appear that not all areas of the country are affected equally. I am happy for that. I simply know what has taken place around this neck of the woods. We have a lot of farms in this area. We are heavy into sugar, corn, navy and soy bean production. All these are treated with roundup, and a number of other herbicides or pesticides. The colony collapse is real in our area. The farmers this year have added one more roundup ready plant to the mix. Sugar beets in this area are now roundup ready. As I see it, we are genetically all different. How can anyone say with any degree of certainty that there is an "acceptable or tolerable limit" on these man made poisons. This could be the canary in the mine if you will. Seems to me we are beginning to screw with things that may be nipping at our heals.


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