Neonicatanoid -- Bayer pesticide killing the bees?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

Autopsies of bees from collapsed colonies show all the symptoms of the intended results upon insects targeted with the pesticide. Gee, is the bee an insect too Bayer? On CBS Sixty Minutes now...

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3409880n

[Radio_Lady]

1. Just watched that segment.

I think it ran before tonight at least once.

A Google search reveals stories from last spring and summer.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

2. No, bees are insects being killed by pesticides intended for insects.

It is a pretty stupid result of an ill thought out strategy

[Radio_Lady]

3. Maybe I'll stick to...

Bayer aspirin!

:sarcasm:

[orleans]

5. i think this was new. they did another story on this before.

(if i remember correctly.)

pbs just ran an hour show on this tonight also--the show was "nature" and that was really good as well.

[Radio_Lady]

9. You may be right. Too much infomation coming in today! My head hurts!

Thanks.

[robinlynne]

4. It is so damn obvious. You would think any government would just stop it.

quickly. profits before everything.

[aquart]

6. I rarely watch 60 Minutes anymore. What happened to the virus theory?

[orleans]

8. that was discussed on a pbs show. (post #7) n/t

[HCE SuiGeneris]

10. The gist of the insecticide theory

is that the bees exhibit the exact intended results of the pesticide on the intended insects: disorientation, ill-health, reduced immunities etc. It was completely maddening to watch. Corporations are not so smart, and are sure as hell unethical. I know. Not news. Just burns my ass though...
:mad:

[orleans]

7. pbs just did a show on this tonight too

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/bees/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_1_naturebrsilenceofthebees_2007-10-28

i think it was this show that said this has been happening for the past 20-30 years. so i was thinking maybe it is the pesticides that wear down the immune system and have allowed this virus to take hold. (a scientist on the pbs show said it appears to be a virus)

[HCE SuiGeneris]

11. Tuning in to it now (8 PM) -- going to really get my blood pressure up

[riverdeep]

12. Also, another thread that's going:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2154595

[Disturbed]

13. What about Wasps? Don't they polinate?

Are Wasps experiencing a great die off, as well?

[ret5hd]

14. How many people keep hundreds of wasp hives, transport them every year...

to different fields, pick them up and return them?
In other words, i am not sure we would know about a wasp die-off as soon as we would a bee die-off.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

15. Here you go

What do they eat?
Parasitic wasps get most of their protein from the host insect or spider they eat as larvae. Adult parasitic wasps mostly just drink nectar.

Most non-parasitic wasps are predators and scavengers. They feed on dead animals, or hunt insects and spiders, and use their sting to paralyze their prey. They eat their prey themselves or bring some back to the hive to feed growing larvae. Some make individual cells, and put a supply of paralyzed prey animals in there along with an egg. The larva hatches and there is all the food they need. In general wasps are attracted to sugary foods like fruit or high protein foods like meat.

Some wasp species have larvae that eat plants the same way that caterpillars do.

What roles do they have in the ecosystem?

Wasps are important predators of other insects. Some species are valuable pollinators, and their relatives the bees are the most important pollinators of all.

From: http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Hymenoptera/

[Duppers]

16. K & R

for a MOST important issue.

[DemReadingDU]

17. morning kick

makes me wonder if the harm to the bees, is an early warning to us humans

[riverdeep]

18. In a word, yes.

One of the scientists said exactly this observation, that they are the canary in the coal mine.