Disappearing Honeybees

[Paige]

Hi all,

This subject was brought to my attention yesterday, and I thought you all might like to hear about it. I have a link to an article by Linda Moulton Howe. She is an investigative reporter that has done some extensive research on this topic.

The article is here:

http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1223&category=Environment

She was the guest speaker on Friday's coast to coast radio call in program. You can listen to the show, but only as a subscriber (which costs $$).

Anyway, we are dependent on these Honeybees for pollination. If they go, I believe there is no question that we will be facing a massive agricultural crisis.

Paige

[Amie]

You know,

I wonder if it couldn't be the in-flux of africanized honeybees breeding with (and killing) our local bees. They don't live in hives, they are indiscriminate.

I'm quick to blame them because I have something personal against them though, heh. They are little terrorists.

At any rate, I hope that the issue is discovered soon so that a solution will be set into motion.

Amie

[Paige]

Yes, the African bees are terrorists, but looking at the map posted with the article, I'm doubting they're the explanation. To my knowledge, we don't have them this far north yet, but the entire Pacific Northwest has been hit with the disappearance.

[Lou]

There could be a lot of factors but I suspect chemical agriculture may be a large factor. But if we stop chemical farming there would massive starvation with in a couple of years.
Today's large scale organic farming is little different from the chemical farmers. There are not many Eliot Colemans today.
Hopefully the real cause will be found before one of today's high profile self appointed messiahs make it their cause and millions die.

[Amie]

AOL posted this today: http://reference.aol.com/planet-earth/animals/bee-pictures

[Paige]

I'm still concerned about this. I hope this means that research efforts are going to be stepped up. We really need our bees!

[Lou]

A researcher at Vanderbilt University believes that it is the newer pesticides that uses nicotine. The most dangerous thing our environment has to face is the environmentalists. The chemical pesticides may be the most environment friendly.

[Paige]

Hmmm...I also heard recently that organic farmers were not experiencing the loss of their honeybees.

[Paige]

Update to this story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100324/ap_on_sc/us_food_and_farm_disappearing_bees

Not good.

Paige

[Me Again]

This could be a great opportunity for us...we could become bee farmers. Seriously, you can sell the honey at local farmers' markets; and also breed bees and sell them to others. It's a wide open market right now...it presents opportunity to start a local, environmentally friendly business with great possibility...and I don't think that the investment is huge either.
You can get more info on it at this link. (http://www.homestead.org/KimFlottum/BeginningBeekeeping/Bees.htm)

[jlv]

Ed,

We have more bees than ever before. I'm suspicious of the claims.

Blessings.