Scientists find clue in mystery of the vanishing bees

[Mirror Lake 444]

(CNN) -- A virus found in healthy Australian honey bees may be playing a role in the collapse of honey bee colonies across the United States, researchers reported Thursday.


Honey bees walk on a moveable comb hive at the Bee Research Laboratory, in Beltsville, Maryland.

Colony collapse disorder has killed millions of bees -- up to 90 percent of colonies in some U.S. beekeeping operations -- imperiling the crops largely dependent upon bees for pollination, such as oranges, blueberries, apples and almonds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says honey bees are responsible for pollinating $15 billion worth of crops each year in the United States. More than 90 fruits and vegetables worldwide depend on them for pollination.

Signs of colony collapse disorder were first reported in the United States in 2004, the same year American beekeepers started importing bees from Australia.

The disorder is marked by hives left with a queen, a few newly hatched adults and plenty of food, but the worker bees responsible for pollination gone.

Snip...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/09/06/bee.disorder/index.html

I've been wondering what the hell has been going on. Twice oudside of my home a massive cloud of honey bees has collided with me on their way to who knows where. A nearby schjool yard was invaded by 10's of thousands of them earlier this spring.

[AgentM]

I've been wondering what the hell has been going on. Twice oudside of my home a massive cloud of honey bees has collided with me on their way to who knows where. A nearby schjool yard was invaded by 10's of thousands of them earlier this spring.

Only thing I can think of is that the virus wreaks havoc with the bees' internal methods of navigation, and they just take off.

[dittohead not!]

It might be tempting to think, "Oh, well, they're just bees", but bees are necessary for many crops. It's good news that someone has a clue as to why the bees are disappearing. Now, to find a cure.

[Riddley]

;) Have we got good records about the bees. Wasn't there a medieval bee losing period? The original bee graph was way way inaccurate, as much as .00002 bee units out.
There is no bee consensus it's all just a hive mind thing.;)

[USViking]

Somebody please tell me why some idiot
felt it necessary to import bees from
Australia or anywhere else?

What the hell was wrong with the bees
we already had?

[IDK]

Somebody please tell me why some idiot
felt it necessary to import bees from
Australia or anywhere else?

What the hell was wrong with the bees
we already had?

Humans have an excellent track record of improving our ecosystems. That's why.

[HAVOC451]

Niether my apricot nor my orange tree bore fruit this year. I miss the bees. :(

[Dangerrmouse]

It might be tempting to think, "Oh, well, they're just bees", but bees are necessary for many crops. It's good news that someone has a clue as to why the bees are disappearing. Now, to find a cure.


The best chance lies with evolution of a resistant honeybee strain.

[dittohead not!]

The best chance lies with evolution of a resistant honeybee strain.

Evolution can be darned slow, unless humans give it a helping hand.

[Mirror Lake 444]

The best chance lies with evolution of a resistant honeybee strain.

Sometimes it's too late for evolution when man totally screws things up by bringing an exotic virus in. Sounds to me like we will bet getting more Autrailian bees or Israeli bees. I guess most of your honey bees are exotic anyway. European I believe.

[Dangerrmouse]

UK and particularly Spanish bees are also suffering. Don't know of antipodean bee imports though.

[bowerbird]

Humans have an excellent track record of improving our ecosystems. That's why.

Yeah we can attest to that

The cane toad
Cactus
Rabbits
a whole screed of ferals..............

[Soren]

Yeah we can attest to that

The cane toad
Cactus
Rabbits
a whole screed of ferals..............Cacti are strictly a New World sort of plant, aren't they?

[bowerbird]

Cacti are strictly a New World sort of plant, aren't they?
Actually it was the prickly pear which at it's height infested about 25 million hectares in Australia .

http://www.northwestweeds.nsw.gov.au/prickly_pear_history.htm

We have a real GOOD record with imported species...............

[dittohead not!]

Actually it was the prickly pear which at it's height infested about 25 million hectares in Australia .

http://www.northwestweeds.nsw.gov.au/prickly_pear_history.htm

We have a real GOOD record with imported species...............

Yes, you do, and so do a lot of places. Ask the Hawaiians how they like their imported mosquitoes and snakes.

And, then, there is California. Most people don't realize that the grass that covers the hills from San Diego to Oregon are not native, but they probably think that eucaliptus trees are.

[Mirror Lake 444]

OI read somewhere that all of the nusiance weeds were deal with in
Nnorth American are not native to North America. Then there are all the sparrows and startlings that are not native.

[dittohead not!]

OI read somewhere that all of the nusiance weeds were deal with in
Nnorth American are not native to North America. Then there are all the sparrows and startlings that are not native.

That's right. According to this (http://www.radfordpl.org/wildwood/today/Animal_articles/European_Starling.htm), starlings were introduced to Central Park in NY and spread from there. According to this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparrow), sparrows are native to Europe and Africa, and Asia.

Just remember that next time you wash your car, then park it under a tree.

[Dangerrmouse]

Another suspect?

http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/info/info/disease/nosema-ceranae-a-new-thre.shtml

... "The implications for beekeeping with the western honey bee Apis mellifera are profound. First, we need to understand how virulent Nosema ceranae is in its new host Apis mellifera. Currently, there is a correlation between Nosema ceranae and colony mortality, but this does not of course mean that Nosema ceranae was the cause of the colony mortality. Other factors such as Varroa mites or pesticide misuse could account for the Spanish colony losses, and Nosema ceranae might have then multiplied in the dying colonies. There may however be a synergistic relationship between Nosema ceranae and other factors, leading to increased colony mortality. Studies are needed on how to control Nosema ceranae, if it proves to be highly virulent. Dr Higes’ group are looking into some of these issues; more needs to be done now. I hope the relevant authorities and beekeepers take note. Forewarned is forearmed." ...