Deadly Bee Mite may have Reached Manoa Honey Farm

Originally posted by Matyas
Here is an interesting link from Science Daily. It looks as if the interrelatedness of the ecosystem is going to take a hard hit.

Wild Bees and the Flowers they Pollinate are Disappearing Together

Good find. And I think that the very word "eco-system" is the key. It is all a system, and in this case it could be the bee's are the first to feel the subtle effects of a change in the system. The cascade effect will soon be felt by the more complex species soon enough, if that theory is valid.

I am still of the belief that this is caused by two things, the pesticides which were supposed to be eco-friendly and the varroa mites who prey on the bees, the inability of the bees to "find their way home", is a characteristic of overuse of the newer pesticide, combined with the pesticides persistence in the plants treated. The other theories GM crops,magnetic field, cellphone, microwave are interesting but I would address the chemicals being used to treat crops first.

The mystery reached another state, Arizona is now in a crisis stage with disappearing bees, and the state says it cannot investigate:

Mysterious bee die-off threatens Az farmers

Colony collapse disorder is the latest in a string of problems to strike commercial bee colonies.
Mite infestations decimated colonies in the mid-1980s and then again in the 1990s. Africanized, or "killer," bees have infiltrated commercial colonies, producing a breed of bee that is too aggressive to work with.
Local beekeepers say that colony collapse disorder is one of the biggest crises they have faced. And, they say, there is no one to turn to for help.
The Arizona Legislature deregulated the bee industry in the mid-1990s. As a result, the Arizona Department of Agriculture does not have the resources or authority to investigate colony collapse disorder, spokesman Ed Hermes said.

Another one from the UK, where they now call this mystery, the "Marie Celeste" disease, referring to a ship which dissappeared without a trace.

Mystery of disappearing bees

Described as "the Marie Celeste disease", bee enthusiasts all over the country have been finding their hives empty since the beginning of February.

Harrow Beekeepers Association (HBKA), based near Hatch End swimming pool, in Uxbridge Road, has lost nearly 70 per cent of its bees.

Jo Telfer, 65, of Elm Park, Pinner, who has been a member of HBKA for more than 20 years, said: "What we are finding is that our 67 members are losing between 50 to 70 per cent of their colonies all through the spring.

Another idea occurs to me that may have some impact on bee navigation in conjuntion with UV radiation and solar activity. There is a Resonance field that lies between the earths surface and the Ionosphere. There is a propagating EM wave bouncing around this cavity which happens to be in the same frequency range as our EM brain waves. Here are some links

Schumann Resonance

And the everpresent Wikipedia

Wikipedia

What if there is a change in amplitude of the Schumann resonance which bee's are more sensitive to? Many believe that the goverment has been experimenting with adjusting the height of the Ionosphere for CCC work in communications. The height of the Ionsophere is the one variable which can change the amplitude. These ELF and ULF waves have the ability to penetrate deeply into the oceans and ground, and again many believe they are causing harm to whales and other life forms. Maybe bee's are also being impacted?

Additionally, associated with the SR field is the magnetic field.

A number of Earth's creatures, including some birds, turtles, and bees, rely on Earth's magnetic field to navigate. The field is in constant flux, scientists say. But even without it, life on Earth will continue, researchers say.

This comes from National Geographic:
Earth's Magentic Field is Weakening

Just an idea.

[edit on 27-4-2007 by Red_Dog_BOM]

I am taking a stance on this issue. It is my belief thge majority of CCD is caused by genetic engineering and mass production/transportation (with exception to pesticides).

By genetic modification and selective breeding to highlight desirable characteristics, more mundane ones such as resistance to parasites and immunity are compromised. This is compounded by relocation of the hives, which places stress on the colonies and further lowers their immunity. The pesticides finish off the job.

I saw my first bee today! And yes, it was dying. Who cares enough to put up a fight for the last feral queen? The best we can expect is a new band called The Dead Bees, with all their latest hits right on your iPod, now wouldn't that be great progress?

Actually even though I meant to be sarcastic, that may be what it takes, because everyone I speak to never even thought about it.

Great work "jack".

There is an increasing awareness of these problems at the moment and I am frustrated to hear that official government bodies are not doing enough.

There is a link to the problem addressed by ATS members here

I am in France by the way & have a new hive in my roof

Also, plenty of bees around at the moment, so that is good news.

Waiting for info from top beekeepers in UK & will inform where possible.

Keep the pressure on to find the reasons for this problem

The more I think about the system, the more it makes sense to look at everything that's happening with the bee's.

1.)Chances are that bee's have been enhanced for a number of years, what we would call genetically altered to say produce more or better honey.

2.)There is no doubt that most of the developed world has been experimenting with genetically altering plants, and using special pestides tailored for these hybrid plants.

Now we have hybrid bee's and hybrid plants which have both been engineered without considering all the factors involved, such as a basic one of the sun. If the hybrid bee's are having more difficulty finding the hybrid plants because their navigation systems have suffered in the hybridisation, then it would follow that they would fail as a species, and the hybrid plants that rely on them would also fail.

I'm of the belief that CCD is due to man's hubris in thinking he can control and understand the entire system. The bee's should only be the first of many such failures.