Pesticides linked to honeybee decline

[!Kaggen]

It would seem academics are being sidelined by regulators and the pesticide industry even though their research shows legitimate concerns.

From a BBC report

"Pesticides linked to honeybee decline"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/29/crop-pesticides-honeybee-decline?newsfeed=true

Prof Mickaël Henry, at INRA in Avignon, France, who led a separate research team, said: "Under the effects we saw from the pesticides, the population size would decline disastrously, and make them even more sensitive to parasites or a lack of food."

A spokesperson from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the new research did not change the government's position. "The UK has a robust system for assessing risks from pesticides and all the evidence shows neonicotinoids do not pose an unacceptable risk to honeybees when products are used correctly. However, we will not hesitate to act if presented with any new evidence." Henry said the new research showed current approval processes for the pesticides are inadequate: "We now have enough data to say authorisation processes must take into account not only the lethal effects, but also the effects of non-lethal doses."

 

[!Kaggen]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120329141912.htm

 

[Dancing David]

There are many reasons for colonly collapse, one of which is Imidacloprid, however the mite issue is serious as well as the mites, so many apiarists are taking measures to deal with what they can

 

[!Kaggen]

Yes David, we have research presented which indicates the devastating role of pesticides and you want to waffle.

 

[Dancing David]

Wow, your response is out of proportion. Bye!

BTW: I know people who tend bees.

 

[Tony]

Is it possible to develop a pesticide resistant bee?

 

[!Kaggen]

Wow, your response is out of proportion. Bye!

BTW: I know people who tend bees.

The consequences of bees disappearing due to pesticide usage will be devastating to say the least, so excuse the proportion of my concern that we don't take this research far more seriously.


BTW. I work with farmers who are 100% dependent on bees to produce the food we need.

 

[!Kaggen]

Is it possible to develop a pesticide resistant bee?

Yes you just have to invent the right algorithm pop it into a computer and hey presto virtual immortal bees.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

Yes you just have to invent the right algorithm pop it into a computer and hey presto virtual immortal bees.

That thread's really spilling everywhere today, innit?

 

[!Kaggen]

That thread's really spilling everywhere today, innit?

Yeah reductionism is infectiously silly, innit?

 

[ThunderChunky]

Yes David, we have research presented which indicates the devastating role of pesticides and you want to waffle.

This research was just published...so it's not like the government has had time to react yet (although concerns about these pesticides have been around for a while).

As for CCD, the authors of these papers themselves state that the pesticides cannot be the only cause.

 

[CapelDodger]

In parts of China (from what I've read) people have been pollinating fruit-trees by hand for years, after some Great Leap Forward in farming practice killed practically everything with wings and six legs in the province. This research isn't particularly ground-breaking.

Dancing David isn't waffling, he's pointing out that this isn't a simple issue. Bee-husbandry (like so many others) has changed enormously in the last fifty years or so, including more frequent and distant transport of hives and an increased degree of monoculture. The Law of Unintended Consequences will not be denied.

 

[ThunderChunky]

In parts of China (from what I've read) people have been pollinating fruit-trees by hand for years, after some Great Leap Forward in farming practice killed practically everything with wings and six legs in the province. This research isn't particularly ground-breaking.

There was a news story on this a few years ago (maybe 60 minutes). The practice is horribly inefficient and laborious.

 

[marplots]

Pesticides weaken bee colonies.
Mites kill even more bees than normal.
Colony collapses.

Don't we have any pesticides that kill mites?

 

[Pulvinar]

There was a news story on this a few years ago (maybe 60 minutes). The practice is horribly inefficient and laborious.

Then again, it's otherwise quite laborious for the bees.

 

[CapelDodger]

There was a news story on this a few years ago (maybe 60 minutes). The practice is horribly inefficient and laborious.

Only remotely viable in a command economy. On the plus side, it does create jobs and contributes to GDP.

I despair sometimes ...

 

[CapelDodger]

Then again, it's otherwise quite laborious for the bees.

Not a problem until they get unionised. As a species, it's probably best we prevent that happening .

 

[Checkmite]

Pesticides weaken bee colonies.
Mites kill even more bees than normal.
Colony collapses.

Don't we have any pesticides that kill mites?

We do, namely coumaphos and Apistan. The problem is that these can only be used in the hive at specific times - that is, before or after any honey you plan to harvest is added. Basically you can't have traces of these chemicals ending up on the honey because it cannot be removed.

There are mechanical methods of mite control, as well, of course; like 4/1 frames. But with both the chemicals and the mechanical methods, you're only controlling the problem. For all intents and purposes it's impossible to eradicate Varroa mites from a hive that has them.

 

[Stomatopoda]

What about predatory mites? They work pretty well for getting rid of parasitic mites in terrariums.

 

[Dancing David]

In parts of China (from what I've read) people have been pollinating fruit-trees by hand for years, after some Great Leap Forward in farming practice killed practically everything with wings and six legs in the province. This research isn't particularly ground-breaking.

Dancing David isn't waffling, he's pointing out that this isn't a simple issue. Bee-husbandry (like so many others) has changed enormously in the last fifty years or so, including more frequent and distant transport of hives and an increased degree of monoculture. The Law of Unintended Consequences will not be denied.

My friend who tends bees and is a state leader of their organization practices many things, you have to provide clean wax and 'fresh' hive body for the bees and there is something called the 'clean queen' initiative. So he has had to change his practice over the last thirty years.

The lack of clover and alfalfa doesn't help, and in town the use of commercial lawn care companies has reduced the amount of clover. The overall availability of nectar sources is low as well.

I have noticed an extreme decline in bees over my lifetime. I get a large number of bumble bees but only have a small number of honey bees visit my yard.