BBC: Wild bee decline "catastrophic": "The whole suite of pollinators are declining simultaneously."

[Bluebear]

Wild bee populations around the UK are experiencing "catastrophic declines", the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has warned.

Mary Celeste Syndrome - where a honey bee hive is found almost completely deserted - has appeared in Scotland. ..

Bees are important pollinators of flowers and crops. Dr Darvill said: "The whole suite of pollinators are declining simultaneously." The UK has 18 true bumblebee species and many are seriously threatened due to habitat loss. The great yellow - the rarest bee in the UK - clings to survival in the Highlands and Islands.

Dr Darvill said the insects' demise has serious implications for food supply and the price of goods. He said: "When a bee visits a flower, it picks up pollen on its fur, and transports it to another flower, pollinating it in the process. "Without pollination, flowering crops like beans, peas, strawberries and raspberries won't produce anything to harvest, and wildflowers won't produce any seeds. The loss of the nation's pollinators is likely to affect your dinner plate, and will change the wider countryside beyond recognition."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7360832.stm

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. The hive mind is moving to a new form.

The new political beast probably.

But seriously, this is terrible. What's tripping me out is all these people around here screaming about gas prices, like what we really need is to burn more oil. We should be screaming for alternatives NOW.

[mahina]

2. Bluebear, do you think this is caused by GMO, or climate change, or both, or what?

[Bluebear]

4. I have no idea. I would love to see some concern by our leadership on it, though!

[SpiralHawk]

12. The GMO corporate crapola is definitely a factor

Genetic manipulation may not be the whole story,
but it is a BIG part of it.

Beware -- as best you can -- eating GMO food. It is degenerative crapola -- not good for bees, not good for people.

Ever wonder why the huge corporations have fought so hard aganst labels that tell you:
This is Genetically Mutant Corporate Crap Food?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. It's a virus.

And a parasite. Right there in the article.

:eyes:

[SpiralHawk]

17. What weakens the bees to make them susceptible?

I -- and many others -- recognize the mutant plants and pollen are the weakening factor for the bees...

[The Stranger]

3. Too bad we can't move some of that trillion-and-a-half spent to murder people to saving the food

supply.

What's that Nancy Disaster up to these days?

[mr_hat]

5. Just eat meat.

Beefs don't need no pollen.

[Bluebear]

6. "If there are no bees there will be no steak "

Tony Riome, vice president of Ayr and District Beekeepers Association, said it had been estimated every third mouthful of food consumed could be linked to pollination by bees.

He said: "If there are no bees there will be no steak.

"A lot of pollination is wind blown, but bees play a very large part in pollinating the plants that animals eat."

[notadmblnd]

7. As I sat here and read this, I looked out at my cherry tree

whose blossoms are currently being swarmed by bees.

[navarth]

8. may the gods protect them. I fear they are in danger.

[Bluebear]

9. Well, that's wonderful, but what does that mean? There is no danger?

[notadmblnd]

13. nope, it means nothing. Just an observation

and I'm thankful that I still have bees.

[1776Forever]

10. I have read some articles on this - Monsanto pesticide link here

Originally Posted by shadowfaun at:

http://forum.greenpeace.org/int/showthread.php?t=1358&page=13

MONSANTO's GmO crops have the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) gene built right into their genetic codes now, potatos, cotton, corn. Most crops are constantly being sprayed with fungicides and Round-Up has glyphosate in it (which stimulates aromatases which increase the production of estradol (an estrogen) and YEAST loves living in high estrogen environments - all sugary and such....

Beetles are now resistant to the fungicides and pesticides, and carry copious amounts of yeast infections in their bodies, of which they are now adapted, but the bees' systems just can't handle the fungus overloads contaminating their hives, rotting their pollen, destroying their honey stocks, nor can the bees bodies withstand the overload of fungus and yeast contamination, and they simply die, get sick and/or leave.

"Based on the fact that more than 500 species of pests have already evolved resistance to conventional insecticides, pests can also evolve resistance to Bt toxins present in transgenic crops (Gold l994). No one questions if Bt resistance will develop, the question is now how fast it will develop." From this link:

http://www.eat-online.net/english/education/agricultural%20biotechnology/ecological_risks_of_bt_crops.htm

(back to the reference at top of the page)

SO - here's how it reads (to me anyway): The beetles are contaminated with yeasts and fungus (having adapted to the pesticides) and they are contaminating and overwhelming the bees hives, and the bees are dying as a result of this exposure to high levels of yeast infection and contamination of their hives and bodies.

Dollars to donuts, I bet the majority of areas infected, where the bees are disappearing en masse, are also namely (if not exclusively) in areas which have Monsanto Bt transgenic crops planted, and are located in regions where heavy routine spraying of Monsanto's usual cocktails are a regular and constant practice.

(...and of course Monsanto is no doubt trying to supress such information from getting out - if such is the case. That's just my take on it anyway...)

.............

This should be a HUGE concern to everyone!

[lazyriver]

11. How much you wanna bet Monsanto or maybe some other

giant corporation will "miraculously" come up with some sort of GM plants that don't require pollinators to "rescue" the world from the disappearance of bees? Monsanto is so fucking evil, I wouldn't be surprised if they were deliberately doing something to destroy bees just to create a need for a future "product".

[uppityperson]

14. I just saw my first bumble bee of the year. Very cool. k&r for bees

This leads me to 2 silly thoughts.
Should I stock up on honey?
Is it Will Pitt's fault (bees in his head)?

Realistically and seriously, thank you for the article. Bees disappearing can have serious repercussions.

[crimsonblue]

15. Science : "the bees are dying" ..... fringe-science : "engineer super bees"

Science: "but what will that cause"
fringe-science: "psshht. nothing will happen.. the future's like... far away"
Science: "I dunno, there seems to be lots of problems lately with GM products"
fringe-science: "Yeah, because we don't have any super bees"
Science: "but shouldn't we find out why they are dying?"
fringe-science: "nope because what will knowing the underlying cause help?"