Colony Collapse Disorder

soundhertz

24th March 2010 - 02:15 AM

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id...home_and_afield

With a couple years of ongoing research in, we have data that at least at the outset, indicates that the multiple pesticide theory is the winner. In addition to the dozens of chemicals used, many of them miticides applied to the hive, the synergy between some of these chemicals, and especially some of the chemicals that the parent spray breaks down to, are more damaging yet. CCD is expected to continue at a very damaging rate.

QUOTE

The researchers have several suspicions why the bees looked cleaner than their dwellings. In some cases, detoxifying systems within the bees might have broken down the chemicals, fostering their excretion. But an even likelier explanation: The sampling focused primarily on live bees extracted from the hives. These tended to be the queens, brood nurses and adolescents – hive residents that aren’t on the chemical frontlines, foraging in pesticide treated fields. Indeed, the fact that researchers found so few healthy worker bees in many of the hives from which they received samples suggests that sickened foragers probably die before they get home.

In fact, some of the pesticides that were detected in hive materials can disorient bees. Which suggests many foragers that had been unwittingly carrying home such contaminants at last become too confused to find their front door.

adoucette

24th March 2010 - 03:47 AM

QUOTE (soundhertz+Mar 23 2010, 09:15 PM)

With a couple years of ongoing research in, we have data that at least at the outset, indicates that the multiple pesticide theory is the winner.

Except these mite killing chemicals have presumably been used to stop CCD.

Which means that it's not likely that they were what started the rash of CCDs.

Arthur

soundhertz

24th March 2010 - 05:18 PM

Here's an experiment to gauge miticide relationship to CCD
http://www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/213332.html

Miticides are used to combat the varroa mite especially, which is a very resilient and constantly self-immunizing organism. Varroa was being combatted long before CCD arose in the present intensity. We first became aware of them in the U.S. in the late 1980's, although they were known in Asia in the 1960's.

QUOTE

Varroa destructor mites are some of the worst enemies of honey bees worldwide. These eight-legged parasites are about the size of a pin head and are copper in color. Female mites cling to adult bees and suck their blood. The parasites then enter a bee brood cell and produce several offspring which, in turn, suck the blood of the developing bee. Left untreated, infested colonies usually die within three to four years.

Varroa mite infestations have become so serious that maintaining bee colonies without chemical treatment is virtually impossible.

QUOTE (->

QUOTE

http://interests.caes.uga.edu/insectlab/population.html

The main focus is on the combined efforts of several applied miticides/pesticides/herbacides that are killing the hives. It seems the mite itself should be a factor since the bee is being weakened by it.

A n article just out today provides some worrisome info unfortunately.

"Bees in more trouble than ever after bad winter"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...xSxWQAD9EKRMRG2
This year bees seem to be in bigger trouble than normal after a bad winter, according to an informal survey of commercial bee brokers cited in an internal USDA document. One-third of those surveyed had trouble finding enough hives to pollinate California's blossoming nut trees, which grow the bulk of the world's almonds. A more formal survey will be done in April.

QUOTE

Among all the stresses to bee health, it's the pesticides that are attracting scrutiny now. A study published Friday in the scientific journal PLOS (Public Library of Science) One found about three out of five pollen and wax samples from 23 states had at least one systemic pesticide — a chemical designed to spread throughout all parts of a plant.

EPA officials said they are aware of problems involving pesticides and bees and the agency is "very seriously concerned."

QUOTE (->

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Berenbaum's research shows pesticides are not the only problem. She said multiple viruses also are attacking the bees, making it tough to propose a single solution.

"Things are still heading downhill," she said.

For Browning, one of the country's largest commercial beekeepers, the latest woes have led to a $1 million loss this year.

"It's just hard to get past this," he said, watching as workers cleaned honey from empty wooden hives Monday. "I'm going to rebuild, but I have plenty of friends who aren't going to make it."

Leo Poly

30th March 2010 - 02:44 AM

Hey can't someone tag the Bees with a tiny GPS device and see where the bodies end up and maybe that would shine some light as to why the bees don't come back to their hive!

soundhertz

1st April 2010 - 05:06 PM

The honeybee can not live a solitary life. Whether they become disoriented or, sensing death, fly off to die, that is the end. Where they make their last flight to is currently deemed unimportant. Why they do it is of utmost importance.

CCD is not new. Only the name is. Looking back at records, researchers have found this condition arising periodically.

QUOTE

What's surprising is that mysterious declines are nothing new. As far back as 1896, CCD has popped up again and again, only under the monikers: 'fall dwindle' disease, 'May dwindle', 'spring dwindle', 'disappearing disease', and 'autumn collapse'.

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/onl...ng-bees?page=14

But the current episode has been unprecedented. One fear is that the next one may then create an untenable situation, at least for a few years. Pollination is crucial to agriculture. But if heavy amounts of pesticides/fungicides/herbicides/miticides are too, we need to find a compromise that works, and fast.

Perhaps one way is to specifically target one aspect of CCD that we have a good handle on, going by the premise that if CCD is the result of several unrelated agents working in conjunction, thereby overwhelming the bee's natural immune system, if we can then knock one of the agents almost completely out of the stew, it may be just enough to allow the bees' natural defenses to hold.

huafeihua116

11th April 2010 - 01:41 AM

Thanks for your help!

soundhertz

5th May 2010 - 04:44 AM

QUOTE

Dave Hackenberg of Hackenberg Apiaries, the Pennsylvania-based commercial beekeeper who first raised the alarm about CCD, said that last year had been the worst yet for bee losses, with 62% of his 2,600 hives dying between May 2009 and April 2010. "It's getting worse," he said.

"Fears for crops as shock figures from America show scale of bee catastrophe

The world may be on the brink of biological disaster after news that a third of US bee colonies did not survive the winter"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010...ehives-collapse

I think the Guardian is a bit hyperbolic with their quotes, but having said that I hope I'm right. Either way, 33.8% nationwide average loss is not good. There are numbers close to that in several fruit/vegetable/nut producing countries.

The exception to the rule in this are the organic bee colonies. They haven't received much mention, but earlier on, it was noticed that the organic hives weren't affected by CCD. An organic hive is in an area that is a large enough organically maintained farm that it's within the bee's adventures.
This would indicate that of the three current suspects in the brew, the pesticide imidacloprid could be playing the biggest role. Fortunately it's the one variable of the three we have control over. We'll see if the experts think it's worth a try to temporarily ban it's use; complicated though that attempt would be.

orestis

7th May 2010 - 01:53 AM

This isn't getting much press now but come fall it might.

Looked up organic bees. The last article was in 2007.

Any current info?

soundhertz

8th May 2010 - 03:52 AM

Here's one; perhaps controversial:
http://www.informationliberation.com/index.php?id=21912

But here's something I had no idea of, and contrary to all that I have read, this outfit says bumblebees are more efficient than honeybees. this isn't spam, as i know nothing about this company, but for pure curiosity:

http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/Bum...cts-pollinators

QUOTE

One important advantage of bumble bees over honey bees is the absence of a communication system. Honeybees inform each other by means of the so-called bees' dance of the presence of an attractive food source outside the crop in which their pollination activities are required, as a result of which the bees may leave collectively. Bumble bees do not have such a communication system. Should an individual bumble bee find an attractive food source elsewhere, it cannot inform its companions, so that the other bumble bees will continue to work in the crop in which their services are required.

soundhertz

18th March 2012 - 12:08 AM

Jump to 2012:

A New Threat to Honey Bees, the Parasitic Phorid Fly Apocephalus borealis

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%...al.pone.0029639

afaik, this is the first paper thal links directly the 'hive abandonment' of the bee and a specific source. This article names this fly as the specific source. Most unfortunately, this fly also attacks bumblebees, heretofore uninvolved in Colony Collapse Disorder, and being used as able substitutes for honeybee pollination.

This is the abstract; I hope it's linkable.

soundhertz

30th March 2012 - 12:47 AM

2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide as a Culprit in Declining Bee Colonies

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/...udies-find.html

Brand new info.

Robittybob1

30th March 2012 - 01:40 AM

QUOTE (soundhertz+Mar 30 2012, 12:47 AM)

2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide as a Culprit in Declining Bee Colonies

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/...udies-find.html

Brand new info.

Good stuff - so many theories - could bees become extinct?

Robittybob1

30th March 2012 - 03:06 AM

Another informative article on the topic
Pesticides hit queen bee numbers
By Richard Black

Environment correspondent, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17535769

Whitewolf4869

4th April 2012 - 01:17 AM

Theres a pesticide called Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) that became popular in the early 80s because it was considered to be safe for humans and was used in many cases because of pressure from environmental groups.
It has been found to be extremely toxic to insects such as bees.
BT was used in the forestry industry to control Gipsy moth out breaks.
The other pesticide more commonly used was Seven but was considered dangerous for humans.
I remember when they did aerial spraying using (Seven) people were told to stay indoors.
Thats why (BT) became popular evan though it is more expensive.
I think there evan producing genetically altered plants that contain (BT)
There's a lot of info on the web about (BT)

Guest

4th April 2012 - 01:54 AM

Fυcking idiot troll.

There are people who can read and reason and research the *** you post.

Most of those people aren't here to be amused by your drooling. To their credit.

Robittybob1

26th April 2012 - 08:09 PM

NZ bees now totally dependent on humans for survival

Now that sounds scary!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/104326...ns-for-survival

soundhertz

10th June 2012 - 10:09 PM

Some very recent findings now suggest it may be almost exclusively the varroa mite - one of the evil three in the devil's brew for CCD - but that the mite itself has a virus that is doing the final step.
http://io9.com/5916845/honey-bee-apocalyps...tions-after-all

Robittybob1

10th June 2012 - 11:21 PM

QUOTE (soundhertz+Jun 10 2012, 10:09 PM)

Can they vaccinate bees? Obviously injections would be out of the question but orally.

Mekigal

10th June 2012 - 11:34 PM

it is over blown rhetoric. Yeah there is and potential , but over blown to the circle of influence dooms dayers. How do I know ? Melissa my information source . She is a bee keeper and has been for a long long time . I trust her and her new husband . Both bee Keepers . So yeah nasty mites , Nasty tree beetles and worms but part of the evolutionary processes at work in the world . Like the pine bark beetle . I doubt very much this is the first time something like this has happened on the earth . Suspect is they were a lot bigger in the past . Big Pine bark lizard beavers more than likely . Who knows Bugs as big as rats or small dogs . Ones that would carry a baby human off for breakfast. There have been plenty of devastating flash fire events do to global warming i am sure even if more localized . The Nine mile Valley for instant has an ancient fire layer recorded in the soils . Not all that old either. I can't guess the age with any accuracy, But long Long Long after Dinosaur yet long before us humans were running around the area . More than likely most defiantly before modern humans . We dug it up every where in the area . Miles a part from each other . A geologist just happen to look at it while we had an open hole and he talked the whole time he was looking at it so even with my limited understanding my belief is strong that some of the information is spot on .

O.K. geologist . The layer was about eight ft deep on average . There was a major flood event 12,000 years ago in the area so maybe my analysis is way off . There are signs of rust in the upper layers of the burn barrier but before that there is a layer of clay. Then there is clay and rock beneath the burn layer . The clay layer is about 1 to 2 ft. Below that first layer of clay . That is the best I can do for a soil profile . Oh there was a gavel layer in there some where close to the burn . Maybe just below the burn . Not always in every area though . More spotty but high percentage you could find pockets in any given area . O.K. my best soil profile from memory

Robittybob1

28th March 2013 - 01:28 AM

"Pesticide makes bees forget the scent for food, new study finds"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013...ood-neocotinoid

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Guest_Liza

21st May 2013 - 03:54 PM

QUOTE (soundhertz+May 8 2010, 03:52 AM)

That's an ivnentive answer to an interesting question

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