Massive Honey Bee Wane Threatens World Crops
12 April 2007
by Anai Rhoads
AnaiRhoads.org - Apiarists across the United States and Europe were disturbed to find this season's bee hives empty.
Industrialisation and the rapid economic development has radically
altered eco-systems and has put a strain on our honeybees and their
hives.
The United States and Europe have witnessed a sharp decline (80
percent) in the bee population.
Apiculturists in northern Croatia approximated that 6 million bees
died in just a 48 hour period this year.
Poland's Swietokrzyskie Beekeeper Association has estimated that
upwards of 40 percent of their bees were wiped out in 2006.
Spain has lost thousands upon thousands of Apis mellifera. Colonies, once abundant,
have suddenly gone absent.
Other countries such as Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal have
also reported extreme bee casualties and/or disappearances.
Impact
Most people don't give much notice to insects and their enormous
impact on our own survival.
Just one hive of Apis mellifera can work on a million
flowering plants, including fruits and vegetables, within a 400
square kilometre area in just 24 hours. Without bees, 130,000 plants
that we rely on will suffer greatly or vanish.
Over 90 fruit and vegetable crops rely on bees, which include apples,
blackberries, cherries, cucumbers, pears, pumpkins, peaches,
raspberries, soybeans, and strawberries.
Usual Suspects
Typically, honeybees die in the Winter season, but scientist find few
dead bees to support this normal life cycle. Instead, the honeybees
have basically "disappeared". Scientist have coined this recent
epidemic "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD).
Although scientists are unsure of the actual cause, there are a few common
suspects.
Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) - Mono-culture based
foods like wheat and corn have contributed to honeybee malnutrition.
Monsantos Triple Hybrid GM corn can be linked to bee deaths as far
back as 2005.
Bt Toxin is produced by Bacillus thuringiensis in an
dormant form (protoxin). It becomes active (delta-endotoxin) in the
bodies of certain insects, which in turn kills them. Bt Maize (corn)
and BT Cotton are commonly produced with this toxin in the U.S.,
Europe, as well as several other countries. Bees cannot distinguish
between conventional plants and GMO plants, so they are being
affected in recorded numbers.
GAUCHO is banned in France's sunflower fields due to its effect of the bee population, however it is still used in that country's maize crops and is still being used in America and other countries. This Chloronicotinyl pesticide is known to exceed the performance of conventional planting time insecticides. GAUCHO is manufactured by the Bayer Corporation. The company's subsidiary, Bayer CropScience, is represented in 122 countries.
Crop pesticides used on crops more than often contaminate
farmers, the food, and even the drinking water. While pesticides
target specific crop-harming insect species, it has the potential to
affect all insects in one form or another.
Varroa Mite - Scientists believe these mites may be the
original cause of the colonies collapsing, since the mites feed on
honeybees.
"Are honey bees the canary in the coal mine? What are honey bees
trying to tell us that we humans should be paying more attention to?"
- Jerry Hayes, Chief Apiary Section. Florida Department of Agriculture, in
Gainesville, Florida.
Albert Einstein once forecasted, "If the bee disappeared off the
surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life
left." A dire comment that is prognosticating in our present day.
Copyright ©2007 Anai Rhoads. All Rights Reserved. This written work is protected by international copyright laws. The copyright laws prohibit any copying, redistributing, retransmitting, or repurposing of any copyright protected material.
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