UPDATED - Mysterious HoneyBee Deaths World-Wide *scary*

[taku]

PICS @ bottom


Honey Bee populations are expected to be GONE within 10 years. They've been in serious decline the past 3 years and their carcasses are being found with numerous diseases.

http://www.honeybeequiet.com/

This might sound silly, but for a while I've wanted to keep honey Bee's for fun, and as a way to help local plant populations. After reading some info on the website URL above... I think this is a hobby a lot of us should pick up sooner rather than later.

It seems there are many potential causes for their deaths, but in the past year it's been terrible. There is even an article on CNN right now that says "scientists baffled at acorn shortages this year all up the Eastern USA". Squirrels are even dying from starvation. It's insane how deeply impacted we will be if Honey Bees die off. England is also reporting severe Honey shortages and expect to not have any remaining honey (in storage) after Christmas 2008. Our fruit industries are heavily tied to bee pollinating their trees too. So that industry could collapse as well.

Here's that acorn article if you're interested: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/12/acorn.shortage/index.html People are reporting NO acorns this year in some regions which is completely unheard of.

"Across the United States and around the world, the honey bee populations are mysteriously vanishing. Honey bee colony losses are not uncommon, however, this sort of disappearence is unprecedented. This honey bee colony loss is due to uncharacteristic bee behavior: bees are failing to return to the hive.

Is it an unparalleled natural rythmic ebb in the honey bee population or a portentous prophetic warning of a failing ecosystem? Solving this mystery could have far-reaching effects.

Their decline should draw focus to the critical role the honey bee plays in our food chain and the impact their loss will have on our ecology and economy. As of now, there are several theories posed to explain what has been termed "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD).

[FenderBass37]

you're weird

[Mr. Top Hat]

the happening


we are all going to die

[nick]

Cell phones and microwaves...

[Le Jalapeno]

due to previous apocolyptic claims about global warming, I fail to truly believe the severity of the depleting bee population until I do a little more in depth research.


As for keeping bees for yourself, its a pretty cool idea just as long as you or UDI aren't allergic. My friends mom keeps some, and her honey is scrumptious . Also that's cool that you would do it while keeping the local planteries in mind.

[uidzero]

It's pretty simple, Bee's pollinate all kind of crops.

" Almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, sunflowers, watermelon and many other crops all rely on honey bees for pollination. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants and that the honey bee is responsible for 80 percent of this pollination. "

[taku]

[nick]

The world already sucks hella balls, but it could be way worse

I want honey.

[bromfutter]

yeah honey is delicious.

lets start cloning honey bees!

[Le Jalapeno]

uidzero, I don't mean the severity of if they do die off, but the severity of how fast they are dying off.



But in order for this article to get any attention it has to make an outrageous claim like "Honey bees will be dead it 10 years" in order to get attention.

[taku]

Well the loss is actually substantial. 36% of domesticated honey bees have died in the past year based on a study polled from a pretty large number of different Bee Keepers nationwide. And university studies revealed that 90% of wild honey bees have died in the past decade. 90%!!! that's crazy.

Imagine 9 out of 10 cows dying... or 9 out of 10 chickens. You know how crazy that would be plastered all over the news, people would be buying up meat to deep freeze and fighting over it. Well even domestic honey bees have been in major decline, but in lesser numbers. It's because at least we can slightly control the genetic makeup of domesticated bees... so some genetic issues or problems brought on by pesticides can be "helped".

Poor little honey bees. Poor us. They sustain life as we know it, and they don't get the credit they deserve which is why I think the past 3 years hasn't exploded with concern over this situation.

Anyways after I read that near 90% of our wild honey bees have deceased in recent year... it completely explains why wild flowers are in major decline and why California has to import millions of bees annually to sustain their almond crops, and potentially even why there are no acorns in some regions of the Eastern USA this year.

One day when it's too late and people feel the impact, they'll care.

[Evan71]

nick, having all powerful mod powers I think "hella" should be one of the words banned from this forum. Such a terrible word.

[FenderBass37]

As long as I can pollinate, it's all good....

[triggamike]

honeybees took over my hummingbird feeder, there were like 200 on it and mah birds couldnt eat!

[ollieshuvitz]

i dont see how not getting stung is a bad thing.

but i will miss the honey.

[taku]

So an online friend in Minnesota has a couple hives, I had no idea, but here are some of his pictures and here's what he said:

"Overall I got 2 1/2 gallons out of one super. Next spring should be much better as hive 2 is building up after the carpenter ants slaughtered about 70% of the colony. The honey you buy from the store is heated which destroys a lot of the anti-biotic properties in the honey. Also a lot of the commercial bees are fed sugar syrup so you are getting nothing more than bee processed sugar syrup. But I enjoy my bees and the satisfaction of harvesting my own honey mostly. In the pictures without the gloves I was just doing general hive inspection on the pics with the gloves I was robbing the honey which makes the bees a little more agitated. Plus the propolis is a beach to get off of your hands, it's like tree sap times 10....

I visit my bees almost daily, it sort of domesticates them. I've only been stung twice this year, once after they were attacked by the ants and I was trying to re-hive them and the second time I opened the lid and one flew out and nailed my finger. I have some video of me hiving about 7000 bees with no protective gear whatsoever. I've just got to get around to editing it as the file is huge. You won't generally get stung if you do everything slowly and very deliberately. They only get pissed when you knock it around, if you're smooth enough they never notice. "

[nick]

Want.

[taku]

me too.

http://floridabeekeepers.org/

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/

[tad]

nick, Ni**a's got bee's!

[scottyb]

fcking squirrels.