A New Hope (for honeybees)

[tk102]

Since 2004, honeybee colonies in the U.S. have been experiencing an epidemic labelled colony collapse disorder (CCD) in which most of the hive just disappears. This has been a serious concern for agriculture since bees pollinat about 90 fruit and vegetable crops and with an economic impact worth $14 billion per year.

 

This week, scientists are announcing a strong correllation between CCD and a virus known as Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV). This virus was first noted in Israel where it caused acute deaths of infected hives and was noted in 2004. Also in 2004, the U.S. began importing Australian honeybees which may have introduced a variant of the virus into the U.S.

 

It appears that bees that survive the virus have incorporated its genes, giving them resistance. If so, colonies could be expanded using these resistant bees.

 

The findings will appear in Science Express, the online edition of the journal Science.

 

Abstract

Google News

[Achilles]

Forget where I heard it, therefore I'm probably going to blotch the quote, but I remember some guy on the radio saying that if bees ever died out, the rest of us (living things) would follow suit within about 4 years.

 

Glad to hear that they think they've found the source of the problem.

[Jae Onasi]

There's also been a large decline in honeybees over the last 20 years or so due to a mite--Article.

 

We were living in OH in the early 90's, and they had a large beehive at a nature preserve that we visited frequently. Within one year it went from a vibrant hive to empty because of the mites.

 

I have noticed at our home that we've seen more honeybees this year than in the past. We garden with as few chemicals as possible because we like to attract butterflies. We grow a variety of perennials to attract different wildlife, including asters because they're really pretty and bloom later in the season. The asters are a huge bee magnet (which is fine by us, we're not allergic or phobic, and it helps the bees get ready for the winter). In past years we've had almost exclusively bumblebees and a few leafcutter bees. Last year for the first time we saw honeybees. I'm hoping they'll be back again--the asters will bloom soon so we'll see.

 

Edit: Mason bees and leafcutter bees also pollinate, and they apparently are more effective pollinators than honeybees. However, I prefer to have the honey from the honeybees.

[JoeDoe 2.0]

I heard about the honey bee crisis on the news before, but I though the drastic climate change was affecting them. Its good to know that there is hope for the bees, I can't live in a world without honey or fruits!

[tk102]

@Achilles: I hadn't heard that, wow scary.

 

@Jae: Regarding the mite, the Australian imports...

...could turn out to be an ironic twist because the Australian imports were meant to bolster U.S. bee populations devastated by another scourge, the varroa mite.

 

One solution leads to another problem it always seems.

 

@JoeDoe 2.0: I hear ya. I was enjoying some watermelon last night. It's one of those fruits with heavy pollen that is very dependent on the bees. I was thinking about that last night and then I saw this article today.

[Achilles]

@Achilles: I hadn't heard that, wow scary.

Crop-helping honeybees dying mystery deaths

 

Honeybees are dying at surprising levels, and scientists haven't yet figured out why, this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer says. If you think the die-off will simply save you from stings this summer or will just cramp your sweet honey love, think again.

 

"At stake is the work the honeybees do, pollinating more than $15 billion worth of U.S. crops, including Pennsylvania's apple harvest, the fourth-largest in the nation, worth $45 million, and New Jersey's cranberries and blueberries.

 

"While a few crops, such as corn and wheat, are pollinated by the wind, most need bees. Without these insects, crop yields would fall dramatically. Agronomists estimate Americans owe one in three bites of food to bees."

So a certain percentage of crops would die off which in turn would most likely result in more than a few animal species dying off as well. Considering current food stores, plus how long it would take us to transition to non-bee pollinated foods and/or create an artificial means of pollinating on that scale, and I think it's easy to imagine that we'd be up against. Wide-spread famine for a few years at the very least.

[PoiuyWired]

Well, luckily there are other alternative (even other bee types) to help jump from one plant genital to another, so famine would be going a bit of a "worst case possable" event.

 

However, it does have major impact with honey production, since other pollen carrying bees does not produce those nice yummy sticky stuff. We all know that if there is a major lack of honey Winnie the Pooh would go postal and turns into a savage beast feeding only on geek blood (and milkshake... well, mostly milkshakes actually)

[RC-1162]

Wasn't there some kind of Asian wasp that was killing these bees? Or were those only in Europe?

[HerbieZ]

Thats a shame. I like bees.

[Achilles]

Well, luckily there are other alternative (even other bee types) to help jump from one plant genital to another, so famine would be going a bit of a "worst case possable" event.

Potential 33% drop in agricultural output and famine is a worst case scenario? People surviving on one-third the american standard (i.e. countries already in famine) would die. Countries at two-thirds would drop to one third (putting them at the previous famine levels). What would happen in developed countries would depend on class warfare, I guess.

 

Also, applying the principles of systems thinking, how big an impact do you think even one seriously pooched year would have?

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Potential 33% drop in agricultural output and famine is a worst case scenario? People surviving on one-third the american standard (i.e. countries already in famine) would die. Countries at two-thirds would drop to one third (putting them at the previous famine levels). What would happen in developed countries would depend on class warfare, I guess.

 

IF the scourge spreads. I just saw an article about that on the newspaper today, and it clearly mentioned "Australian and American bees", which are different species from others found through the globe. The article said that the possibility of the plague spreading is low.

 

The "funny" thing, is that many other events were blamed for this bee thing, including global warming.

[Achilles]

IF the scourge spreads. I just saw an article about that on the newspaper today, and it clearly mentioned "Australian and American bees", which are different species from others found through the globe. The article said that the possibility of the plague spreading is low.

I guess it would be a good time to start figuring out where most of the world's food is produced and plan accordingly.

 

The "funny" thing, is that many other events were blamed for this bee thing, including global warming.

Indeed! I recall when this first hit the news, a lot of people were arguing that cell phone signals were to blame.

[Cygnus Q'ol]

If only we could find a way to get rid of mosquitoes instead.

 

I really can't think of any real purpose for them.

...except food for bats.

 

The natural world is crumbling around us. No one wants to admit that it's we, the humans, that have brought this planet's inhabitants to the brink of extinction through the destruction of our delicate ecosystem.

 

Diseases-us

Depleted ozone layer-us

Global warming-us

Destruction of the rainforest-us

Pollution of the oceans-us

Pollution of our atmosphere-us

 

I'm quite sure the honeybee crisis must have something to do with us as well.

[Achilles]

While I don't advocate ignoring our role in the current situation, I think it's a bit much to say that it's all our fault. A lot of really "horrible" things happened on earth before we got here and a lot more will happen after we've made it too inhospitiable for our species.

 

In the words of George Carlin, "The earth is fine. We're ****ed!"

 

EDIT: Whoops. Haven't listened to that rant in over a decade and apparently I got part of it wrong. Here it is again, corrected with a little more tacked on for context.

 

Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet. Nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine. The PEOPLE are ****ed. Difference. Difference. The planet is fine. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great.

<snip>

The planet...the planet...the planet isn't going anywhere. WE ARE!

[Jae Onasi]

In the words of George Carlin, "The earth is fine. We're ****ed!"

 

 

Leafcutter and mason bees aren't apparently affected by this virus or the mite (I think), and they actually pollinate 20 times the flowers that honeybees pollinate. I think they don't make honey, or at least not nearly as much. So, we're not screwed in the pollinating department, but that doesn't mean we want honeybees to disappear, either.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

In the words of George Carlin, "The earth is fine. We're ****ed!"

 

 

A must add to my vocabulary.

 

I guess it would be a good time to start figuring out where most of the world's food is produced and plan accordingly.

 

Ain't it good old Latin America?

[PoiuyWired]

 

Leafcutter and mason bees aren't apparently affected by this virus or the mite (I think), and they actually pollinate 20 times the flowers that honeybees pollinate. I think they don't make honey, or at least not nearly as much. So, we're not screwed in the pollinating department, but that doesn't mean we want honeybees to disappear, either.

 

Actually if I remember right only some subspecies of honeybees are affected also, some are immune. But yes, no honey is bad.

 

HeLP US Oh-Bee-Wan!!

 

On the practical side, it would help if our friendly bee guys would collect less honey from the hives, leaving more for the bees themselves. Yes I know feeding them bees artificial sugary mix can keep them alive and well also, but it seems that bees with more natural honey in their part of diet are healthier. (Its good to know this from a friendly bee people)

[Achilles]

Ain't it good old Latin America?

After several minutes of digging, this is the best I could come up with (if you find a better source, please let me know!).

 

I didn't have the patience to click and drag through each of the available statistics, but "wheat" seems to be pretty much on par with what I had been led to believe was true.

 

The good news is that wheat isn't bee-dependent. The bad news is that if the stats for wheat are indicative of our other agricultural exports, then there might be a problem after all. Here's to hoping I'm wrong!

[Ctrl Alt Del]

After several minutes of digging, this is the best I could come up with (if you find a better source, please let me know!).

 

After quite some time of unsuccessful attempts to find reliable articles, I resorted to Wikipedia, as to which I found this map (From which I would advise you not to put much weight on it, since the China thing is just partial: Pollution levels render these food un-eatable):

 

Clicky

 

Later, I was brought to the very same website you provided, not finding anything new. However, I'm quite certain that Latin America, specifically South America, is considered the world granary. Guess I'll extend my search to animal food as well.

[DrPhil2501]

Forget where I heard it, therefore I'm probably going to blotch the quote, but I remember some guy on the radio saying that if bees ever died out, the rest of us (living things) would follow suit within about 4 years.

 

I want scientific facts supporting this claim.

[Achilles]

Later, I was brought to the very same website you provided, not finding anything new. However, I'm quite certain that Latin America, specifically South America, is considered the world granary.

Even though the site we both ended up at said the exact opposite?

4  	United States of America  	Soybeans  	6692044 (value in US$)
7  	Brazil  	                Soybeans  	5394907 (value in US$)

U.S. is also #5, #8, #9 (doesn't count because it's not food), & #14.

Brazil listed one other time for a soy byproduct (so it's on the list twice for essentially the same thing). The only other latin american country on there is Argentina at #10 for soy products.

 

I want scientific facts supporting this claim.

Me too. If you remember where I heard it before I do, let me know.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

4  	United States of America  	Soybeans  	6692044 (value in US$)
7  	Brazil  	                Soybeans  	5394907 (value in US$)

U.S. is also #5, #8, #9 (doesn't count because it's not food), & #14.

Brazil listed one other time for a soy byproduct (so it's on the list twice for essentially the same thing). The only other latin american country on there is Argentina at #10 for soy products.

 

 

As I said, I will extend the search to animal food as well. And the other bio-product is soycakes. Anyway, this don't treat about the quality of the food (though it may look like I'm resorting into unfounded facts, near a dead end without arguments), even if, in a starving situation, one would eat anything.

[tk102]

I thought I posted this in Ahto, not Kavar's

 

I have friend at work who owns a number of beehives as a secondary source of income. (Despite the maps you posted, the western U.S. has some significant agriculture.) He's felt the sting of CCD personally but the demand for bees has increased which offset the income loss due to diminished labor force. I haven't spoken with him about this finding yet though.

[Jae Onasi]

On the practical side, it would help if our friendly bee guys would collect less honey from the hives, leaving more for the bees themselves. Yes I know feeding them bees artificial sugary mix can keep them alive and well also, but it seems that bees with more natural honey in their part of diet are healthier. (Its good to know this from a friendly bee people)

 

It would also help if all of us who plant flowers in our yards would avoid using pesticides/insecticides and other chemicals on our plants. The insecticides kill the good bugs right along with the bad, and there are some great natural ways to control the bad insects without harming the good ones if you don't mind the occasional chewed leaf.

[PoiuyWired]

Way back when I have a small Lawn and Garden I basically use almost no chemical aside from a few sticks of fertilizers for the roses and a wee bit of gasoline (in between rock/cement cracks of driveway/path)

 

Sure it takes a bit more time to do the weed control, and lawn is less green and bushy, but the little place is plossomed with life. The place is the defalut gethering place for the neighborhood out-door cats, the herbs are growing happily(lots of mints) and even the steady visit of a hummingbird or two.

 

Unfortunately, sometimes you do have to call the bug guys and use a bit of chemical for tough dangerous pasts (like the poisonous wasps under the porch) But generally you would be happier with a more natural garden, despite looking less "perfect" The natural view and random surprises more than makes up for it.

 

And yes, once again, herbs. Trust me, the bees love it, so would you.