Not-So-Elementary Bee Mystery

Not-So-Elementary Bee Mystery

www.sciencenews.org

The disappearance of large numbers of U.S. honeybees is so odd that it's attracted Ian Lipkin. Since last fall, beekeepers in at least 35 states have reported colonies that shrank rapidly for no apparent reason. Adult bees just go missing, leaving behind young bees in need of tending. This colony-collapse disorder (CCD), as it's now called, has got bee researchers coast to coast stirred up and looking for causes and remedies.

(visit the link for the full news article)



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Senator Requests Expedited Report from USDA on Honeybee Mystery
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I finally had some time to check out the progress of the honeybee mystery and so far the mystery continues. In this article from Science News, the mystery has attracted the efforts of a scientist who usually chases down pathogens of humans. It is a good read and will refresh everyone on the past few months of the mystery. The article hints at some type of breakthrough though they are keeping their information close to the vest as stated in this quote from the article:

After all this work, Lipkin's tight-lipped about what his analyses have revealed. He will say, however, that his lab, with help from others, is closing in on a suspicious infectious agent.

I also found another article from the past week from Pennsylvania, which discusses their efforts and they seem to be targetting a pathogen and tests are underway to prove their theory.

Discovery of Pathogen Brings Hope in Battle Against CCD

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Researchers investigating Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) may have uncovered a breakthrough to the mysterious ailment that has decimated honeybees nationwide.

A member of the Colony Collapse Working Group, based primarily at Penn State, said in a phone interview this week the group had identified a possible new pathogen that was found in dead bee colonies examined two weeks ago.

Let's hope that these scientists can solve this mystery sooner rather than later.

In my observations, this early spring here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I witnessed numerous cases of disoriented honeybees, then hardly a sighting in late spring, but fortunately I have seen increased activity of honeybees in my garden without the cases of disorientation, which gives me hope that the colonies can survive this mystery.





www.sciencenews.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 2007/7/30 by JacKatMtn]

This is a good reminder that this isn't over. It is potentially a very bad thing for the worlds ecosystem. When I do come across a bee in the yard or somewhere, I do watch it in fascination, since it seems it doesn't know where its going. They usually just walk around in circles, or fall over when trying to climb something. They just generally look weak.

We had a large nest in the woods behind the back yard, that looked like a major airport. It went from bustling to vacant in about a week, when all the stories were coming up on the news. Like they joined the bandwagon and gave up.

Good find! Thanks for bringing this back to our attention.

Originally posted by Quasar
This is a good reminder that this isn't over. It is potentially a very bad thing for the worlds ecosystem. When I do come across a bee in the yard or somewhere, I do watch it in fascination, since it seems it doesn't know where its going. They usually just walk around in circles, or fall over when trying to climb something. They just generally look weak.

Yeah, the ones that I have seen of late do exactly that... It's amazing to me that these bee threads don't get more response than they do. I personally don't think that the majority of the people really understand the magnitude of this story.

Indeed, no bees = extreme badness, in the form of food problems, in a few years for everyone...