Bees Are Dying, Scientists Have Found Out Why

[Gilhelmi]

It is good we finally figured this out. Now we just need to develop new pesticides that will limit or stop CCD.

Oh yea, Elephant in the room, We can not (as in not physically possible) stop using pesticides. Unless you do not mind famine and starvation. America is doing very well in food production, but it is only because of high-tech measures, advanced 'no-till' techniques, and pesticides and highly specialized herbicides. 2% of Americas population are feeding everyone right now. I honestly can not think of a workable way to not use pesticides and maintain food production levels.

I think America could still feed itself, but quite a number of other countries who buy from the US or are given grain as part of international aid, would suddenly see America no-longer able to help them.

 

[Gilhelmi]

"Scientists have struggled to pinpoint a single cause of the disorder, identifying malnutrition, pesticides and habitat loss as potential suspects. However, scientists at the University of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found that CCD is caused by a combination of factors."

I would like to congratulate said scientists on discovering the source of every human problem ever: Lots of things. But in all seriousness this is sad/distressing. I'm somewhat curious if there's a way to attack the parasite, since it's unlikely the US is going to ban multiple pest/fungicides simultaneously.

It's likely we will take the same route as we did with DDT and ban it. Of course, then that means chemical companies have to find another fungicide that works, and then we'll find out how bad it is for another species within the next few decades.

Hopefully they don't 100% ban everything as with DDT or we'll have a lot of other problems to deal with. Bedbugs are a prime example of what happens when you just stop using things altogether, rather than strictly controlling/regulating them.

Not too mention that our food production would be unsustainable. If they banned pesticides, America 'might' be able to feed itself but would have little in the way for exporting food elsewhere.

 

[Lilani]

Silly scientists, they aren't dying, they're flying back to their home on the planet Melissa Majoria.

 

[Syzygy23]

Yeah, this is pretty serious. Bee's don't just make delicious honey, they pollinate pretty much everything for us.

We should probably look in to some sort of artificial pollination machine to replace the bees if and or when they go extinct. And these machines won't friggin' STING people.

 

[Syzygy23]

Stop using PESTICIDES! Plenty of evidence suggest that the benefits of gmos and pesticides are middling at best and nonexistant at worst. We have countries that are producing more without pesticides. Countries that have gone full organic and flourish because of it.

Cite sources or GTFO. Not to be rude, buuuuut... Those are some pretty big claims there. If there were affordable, non-harmful methods of pest control, wouldn't the farm conglomerates already be using them?

 

[McMullen]

Stop using PESTICIDES! Plenty of evidence suggest that the benefits of gmos and pesticides are middling at best and nonexistant at worst. We have countries that are producing more without pesticides. Countries that have gone full organic and flourish because of it.

I'm curious to know where you got that information; pesticides improve crop yields. That's one of the reasons organic produce is so expensive: they have lower yields and thus farmers have to charge higher prices for them.

I'm willing to believe the bit about indeterminate results for the benefits of pesticides in terms of health; to date, no solid evidence has been found to determine whether organic or conventional food is safer. What they have found is that the lack or presence of pesticide residue is likely to be a negligible factor next to other factors that are independent of organic vs. conventional methods, like bacteria and mycotoxins that can be present in both types of crops.

The crop yield issue though is definitely in conventional farming's favor. Serious questions have been raised on whether enough food can be grown organically to keep up with demand, and whether most people will be able to afford it.

Of course, this bee problem reveals that there is an issue with certain pesticides, but it should be possible to phase out the culprits and stick to those pesticides which are safer.

 

[mad825]

Damn, it is worst then we thought.

We're going to have to ask people to be environmentally conscious.

That's not the problem.

The problem is that now we're going to have fungus-ridden hives until we find a usable fungicide... assuming abandoning current fungicides will even reverse the problem. There's a good chance it won't.

And there's the rub... "Be environmentally conscious" is not a cure all. At this point, it may be like offering sunscreen to someone with their skin peeling off from third-degree sunburn.

That isn't a problem either, Australia seemed to be free from CDD and Nosema and they've been selling bees which has been earning quite a bit of money for them.

Stop using PESTICIDES! Plenty of evidence suggest that the benefits of gmos and pesticides are middling at best and nonexistant at worst. We have countries that are producing more without pesticides. Countries that have gone full organic and flourish because of it.

Listen here, just because the food is organic doesn't mean pesticides aren't being used. In fact, they are [http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~lhom/organictext.html] being used.

 

[Padwolf]

In Europe we are already taking steps to help prevent bee's from going extinct. Hopefully more can be done. It's sad that bee's are dying, we need them. One big problem is finding people who care enough about it.

 

[omicron1]

Three options: Stop using pesticides, include chemicals that kill off this fungus, or include a 'fungal vaccine' of a sort.

Science will find a way.

 

[conmag9]

And here I was, thinking it was my utter hatred for bees, hornets and wasps that had somehow been responsible. Like I became an anti-bee super villain while I sleepwalk or something. Or my rage tapped into some malevolent cosmic force and aimed it at them.

Looks like it's time for a different batch of pesticides. As much as my heart would leap for joy at the thought of never having to deal with bees ever again, I also like things like eating and breathing, so whatever contribution bees make to pollination should be fixed as promptly as possible.


CAPTCHA: Leave me alone
Yes, I wish they would, CAPTCHA. I wish they would.

 

[TwiZtah]

I remember hearing from somewhere that if all the bees died out then almost all life would die out in 6 years.

Hopefully the beepocalypse can be prevented and the damage reversed but as far as apocalypse's go it's a fairly disappointing one.

I mean you've got none of the cool action of a robot apocalypse or zombie apocalypse or the mystery of a mayan apocalypse.

Who would want to watch a bee apocalypse?

No, but we will lose about 1/3 of all crops.

 

[Mau95]

So basically, the bees are going on strike and abandoning the workforce? Pretty sure we already knew why the bees were suddenly disappearing, but I'm from Europe so maybe the news hadn't reached the other side of the ocean yet. Hope theyll recover .

 

[PuckFuppet]

Yeah, this is pretty serious. Bee's don't just make delicious honey, they pollinate pretty much everything for us.

We should probably look in to some sort of artificial pollination machine to replace the bees if and or when they go extinct. And these machines won't friggin' STING people.

Almost impossible, and would only be feasible under very controlled conditions. Bees perform such a vital function that their decline has already affected certain crops, almonds for instance, and despite dozens of experiments and millions (if not billions) spent on alternate pollination methods it was more cost effective for them to import beehives from apiaries. Those hives were almost a total loss also, with 1/9 surviving the pollination cycle and the rest being deemed irrecoverable.

EDIT: As for the idea that "no pesticides will solve it"... it might but the issue is with the amount of training (years of it) that would require to reeducate farm owners around the world, then try to roll that out in an industrial capacity, then address issues with the soil needing to be completely purged and cycled through multiple stages of fertilisation before it is even plausible. Money, money, money.

 

[rbstewart7263]

Stop using PESTICIDES! Plenty of evidence suggest that the benefits of gmos and pesticides are middling at best and nonexistant at worst. We have countries that are producing more without pesticides. Countries that have gone full organic and flourish because of it.

I'm curious to know where you got that information; pesticides improve crop yields. That's one of the reasons organic produce is so expensive: they have lower yields and thus farmers have to charge higher prices for them.

I'm willing to believe the bit about indeterminate results for the benefits of pesticides in terms of health; to date, no solid evidence has been found to determine whether organic or conventional food is safer. What they have found is that the lack or presence of pesticide residue is likely to be a negligible factor next to other factors that are independent of organic vs. conventional methods, like bacteria and mycotoxins that can be present in both types of crops.

The crop yield issue though is definitely in conventional farming's favor. Serious questions have been raised on whether enough food can be grown organically to keep up with demand, and whether most people will be able to afford it.

Of course, this bee problem reveals that there is an issue with certain pesticides, but it should be possible to phase out the culprits and stick to those pesticides which are safer.

oh lords its was a facebook link that showed me the figures and such so ill have to do some browsing for it after I wake so keep posted. If I remember it was a basics on gmos and pesticides explaining what they are and why they arent all they are cracked up to be.

 

[mattttherman3]

Have seen a lot fewer bees this summer than I have in years past, and that is everywhere I have been this summer.

 

[mdqp]

Actually, a new study currently underway will demonstrate how videogames cause the death of the bees, by making them more violent.

On topic: how bad is the situation in the US? In my country, it doesn't seem to be so bad.

 

[Scow2]

The solution is not to ban pesticides as a knee-jerk reaction - Otherwise, our crops and even the bees themselves would be killed by the fungus and bugs the pesticides are killing. The new task is to develop one that bolsters bees against this new parasite, and/or kills the parasite directly.

Chemicals can be used to kill, and they can be used to strengthen.

 

[shrekfan246]

Good luck getting enough people to care about bees. We're screwed

I was originally going to post something along the lines of "Good riddance to bad rubbish", but thinking about it I've got more problems with wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets than honeybees or bumblebees. I may not like bees, but they're at least better than those other flying factories of fear, hatred, and anger.

 

[KOMega]

So the chemicals are making the bees more susceptible to parasites.
hmmmmm. Is it just this one type of parasite or multiple ones?
If we can't get rid of the use of pesticides, is there a way to essentially cure the bees?

A large influx of BEEEEEEEEES ought to assist this situation!

Someone ninja'd another person and myself?
My briefcase full of BEES outta put a stop to that!

 

[BlazeRaider]

I disagree with their conclusions, I still think CCD is the result of Oprah stealing them all to give away to her audiences.

...damn them all, luxuriously showering themselves in bees while the world's crops fail.