Bye Bye Bees, Bye Bye Us

[kemist]

"If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live" Albert Einstein(?)

Time to find an alternative way of treating crops that doesn't kill bees.

http://www.futurity.org/earth-enviro...ead-honeybees/

High insecticide levels in dead honeybees


Analyses of bees found dead in and around hives from several apiaries over two years in Indiana showed the presence of neonicotinoid insecticides, which are commonly used to coat corn and soybean seeds before planting.

“We know that these insecticides are highly toxic to bees; we found them in each sample of dead and dying bees,” says co-author Christian Krupke, associate professor of entomology at Purdue University.

No one factor is to blame, though scientists believe that mites and insecticides are working together against the bees, which are important for pollinating food crops and wild plants.

Bee deaths in 2010 and 2011 were occurring at planting time in hives near agricultural fields............
...............Other bees at those hives exhibited tremors, uncoordinated movement and convulsions, all signs of insecticide poisoning.

The article also says how the insecticides are being easily released into the environment.

[BW]

[BW]

can't we replace the bees

[straphanger]

the US and Europe can pass environmental law, but what about other countries?

[Solachica]

Wasn't there a cartoon the other day abt the bees tht quit and how the world became after with no bees doing bee stuff

[vaio]

i didnt know that those busy little bees could make such a difference

[kemist]

The article mentions how talc is used during planting and it is believed that the talc helps to spread the insecticides to the wider environment. Also mentioned was the recommendation to reduce the amount of talc used when planting.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do in the short term would be to develop a new mechanism for planting the insecticide-coated seeds without using talc (?)

The article didn't mention whether insecticides were being sprayed on the plants using crop-dusters - that would be another problem.

A long term goal would be to develop a pesticide that doesn't harm bees, or implement some form of alternative method of pest control without the use of insecticides e.g. biological control

[amzz]

kem, hve u seen d bee movie?

[edyle]

Monsanto is probably killing off the bees with their genetically engineered stuff, and when the problem gets bad enough, presto, they'll unveil their own genetically modified BEE!