Stealthy American Agricultural/Environmental Disaster

it is an interesting story. Will be curious to know whats happening

 

Does this only affect the American bees? If the Africanized bees continue to spread, this problem might become less important (though the killer bee problem would only get worse).

 

Thought I would bump this thread as this situation continues to gain more and more coverage. I actually never realized how important honeybees are to are food supply as I have read multiple stories on this subject. Many scientists and experts are saying that if the phenomenon, known as colony collapse disorder or vanishing honeybee syndrome, continues then in 4-5 years many people could be on a simplistic diet of grains and water. It has been as subject on several television panels as well, I know I have seen Bill Mahr mention it on his show during the past 3 episodes. Although I have not seen coverage spread to stations like CNN, MSNBC, or FoxNews. This seems like a pretty important event happening yet I have not heard much said by the majors.

So, how important do you think this event is? How do you think it will play out? What do you think is the cause or causes? Very interesting stuff, to me anyway.

 

[DISCLAIMER] I have no idea if it's true but one theory I’ve heard as to why the bees are dying off is microwaves from cell phones are jamming the bee's radar and they get confused and can't find their way back to the hives.

Still it's pretty freaky.

 

from what I've read, that seems to be more urban legend. Its usually accompnied by some quote by Einstein.

 

Actually it is the Einstein quote that is urban legend as no quote made by him about honeybees has been found. Radiation from cell phones and cell phone towers has been shown to have a negative effect on honey bees in some studies.

 

The bees will be back... We will just have a lousy crop year.

 

One thing I've heard about it is that the bees that stay in a colony tend to be very weak and disease ridden so the argument that the honeycomb has gone bad and bees have been forced to deal with old honeycombs seem like it could be a cause.

 

I'm not saying that cell phones are the only reason for the decline but studies have shown the radiation from them does have its effects.

 

The Einstein Quote maybe urban legend, but it goes along with the 4-5 year prediction about the food supply.

 

I'm sorry, but what exactly are you saying here? I am confused. Seems to be a lot of that in me lately. LOL!

 

I've been following this with relative interest, and lately more scientists think it's because of a fungus.

 

Like I said, I'm not stating cell phones are the major cause of this but they could be of some concern in the long run. I'm not sure. I believe they could be one of the many factors causing this decline along with fungus or some other type of disease and mites that actually feed on bees and other causes. The real concern is that nobody really knows right now.

 

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2449968.ece

For the sake of data:

 

No consistent link has been found between cell phone use and brain tumors. So while there might be evidence it is far from conclusize and this article seems fairly alarmist even while they qualify the languange. It seems to be saying there is a threat from cell phones to human health. We just can't prove it.

 

The parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives.

Someone want to explain how cell phone radiation would cause this behavior? The fungus or similar biological causation seems like the most logical.

 

Yeah, but they are both always buzzed. Get it? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.

 

This matter deserves much more media attention than the pet food recall, without the bees, US orchard will suffer serious blow.