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View Full Version : The Death Of Bees Explained In A Nutshell



Chris
07-11-2015, 08:43 AM
Alarming.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=354&v=GqA42M4RtxE

McCool
07-11-2015, 09:11 AM
I knew bees were important, but I didn't know they were that important. Good Lord.

Peter1469
07-11-2015, 09:13 AM
It is the increased use of pesticides that are killing off the bees. (http://www.panna.org/issues/publication/pesticides-and-honey-bees-state-science)

Neonicotinoids are the likely cause- (I am now at that part of the video).

The one bit of good news is that keep keepers can produce more bees easily.

donttread
07-16-2015, 06:14 PM
Alarming.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=354&v=GqA42M4RtxE

Stay tuned for Monsanto's GMO self pollinating crop seed

Chris
07-24-2015, 08:54 AM
False alarm?

Call off the bee-pocalypse: U.S. honeybee colonies hit a 20-year high (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/23/call-off-the-bee-pocalypse-u-s-honeybee-colonies-hit-a-20-year-high/)


You've heard the news about honeybees. "Beepocalypse," they've called it. Beemageddon. America's honeybees are dying, putting honey production and $15 billion worth of pollinated food crops in jeopardy.

The situation has become so dire that earlier this year the White House put forth the first National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, a 64-page policy framework for saving the nation's bees, butterflies and other pollinating animals.

The trouble all began in 2006 or so, when beekeepers first began noticing mysterious die-offs. It was soon christened "colony collapse disorder," and has been responsible for the loss of 20 to 40 percent of managed honeybee colonies each winter over the past decade.

The math says that if you lose 30 percent of your bee colonies every year for a few years, you rapidly end up with close to 0 colonies left. But get a load of this data on the number of active bee colonies in the U.S. since 1987. Pay particular attention to the period after 2006, when CCD was first documented.

http://i.snag.gy/rTy8n.jpg

...

Peter1469
07-24-2015, 10:24 AM
They are easy to breed even with large die offs. It just causes the costs of bee keepers to go up, which effect those who pay for their services.

waltky
04-13-2016, 01:38 AM
Widely thought to be contributing to the global die-off of honeybees...
:cool2:
Suspected Bee-Killing Chemical to be Phased Out by Top US Seller
April 12, 2016 | The top U.S. seller of garden pesticides for consumer use is phasing out a chemical widely thought to be contributing to the global die-off of honeybees.


Ortho announced Tuesday it will eliminate the chemical known as neonics in three brands of pest control sprays and powders for trees, roses and other flowers by next year, and in all its products by 2021. "The decision comes after careful consideration regarding the range of possible threats to honeybees and other pollinators," Ortho general manager Tim Martin said Tuesday. "While agencies in the United States are still evaluating the overall impact of neonics on pollinator populations, it is time for Ortho to move on."

The Environmental Protection Agency is still studying the effects of neonics on bees and butterflies. Other large pesticide manufacturers say all the research to date may be overstated. But many scientists are convinced that certain pesticides are contributing to killing off honeybee populations around the world by attacking the bees' central nervous systems.


http://gdb.voanews.com/D8858351-D495-437A-8DA3-5EF72FC66AFA_w640_r1_s.jpg
Bees in their hive.

Honeybees are responsible for pollinating 80 percent of many fruits and vegetables that are part of the human diet and essential for good health. Ortho is encouraging other companies to follow its lead. It also says it is joining with a group called the Pollinator Stewardship Council to promote bee habitats and educate consumers on the proper use of pesticides.

Last week, the legislature in the state of Maryland passed a law banning consumers from using pesticides with neocins, declaring that only professionals, including farmers and veterinarians, can apply such treatments. If Maryland's governor signs the bill, Maryland would be the first state in the nation to partially ban neonics.

http://www.voanews.com/content/suspected-bee-killing-chemical-to-be-phased-out-by-top-us-seller/3283027.html

Peter1469
04-13-2016, 04:48 AM
I saw that. Good news.

iolo
04-13-2016, 07:26 AM
They are easy to breed even with large die offs. It just causes the costs of bee keepers to go up, which effect those who pay for their services.

You try it! I used to keep bees, until a hard winter saw them all off. It is a lot of work, and there's no great profit in it.

MisterVeritis
04-13-2016, 10:06 AM
You try it! I used to keep bees, until a hard winter saw them all off. It is a lot of work, and there's no great profit in it.
I have considered trying bee-keeping. One thought I had was to mentor under an existing bee-keeper to see what works.

I put my house on the market. Once it sells I will begin looking for a few acres with a house. I want to try small farming, keep a few chickens and try bee-keeping. I found someone who has kept chickens for a few years. I found someone to help me get started with a rain-gutter system and one raised bed 12 ft x 4 ft. If I like it I will add more.

Peter1469
04-13-2016, 03:55 PM
I have considered trying bee-keeping. One thought I had was to mentor under an existing bee-keeper to see what works.

I put my house on the market. Once it sells I will begin looking for a few acres with a house. I want to try small farming, keep a few chickens and try bee-keeping. I found someone who has kept chickens for a few years. I found someone to help me get started with a rain-gutter system and one raised bed 12 ft x 4 ft. If I like it I will add more.

Sounds like a plan.

iolo
04-14-2016, 07:22 AM
I have considered trying bee-keeping. One thought I had was to mentor under an existing bee-keeper to see what works.

I put my house on the market. Once it sells I will begin looking for a few acres with a house. I want to try small farming, keep a few chickens and try bee-keeping. I found someone who has kept chickens for a few years. I found someone to help me get started with a rain-gutter system and one raised bed 12 ft x 4 ft. If I like it I will add more.

Good luck with that. The people I know who have managed it tend to have a pension or another source of income to cover emergencies.

MisterVeritis
04-14-2016, 09:14 AM
Sounds like a plan.
We have had one house showing so far. This house is an original luxury home. The contract with the realtor runs until September.

MisterVeritis
04-14-2016, 09:17 AM
Good luck with that. The people I know who have managed it tend to have a pension or another source of income to cover emergencies.
I have retired twice. My retirement income is greater than the average person's income. I plan to convert a portion of my 401K into my small farm. Then I shall write nonfiction. try small farming, raise a few chickens, and lend myself out to a bee-keeper who knows what he is doing.

Doublejack
04-14-2016, 10:33 AM
That's exactly what I did -

Bailed out of the nice neighborhood/newer house/small yard and moved into a small 1905 farm house on 15 acres w/barn and chicken coop.

Best move ever. We got the gardening and chickens down now. Moving forward with bees this summer and maybe pigs and a goat or two.

iolo
04-15-2016, 06:42 AM
I have retired twice. My retirement income is greater than the average person's income. I plan to convert a portion of my 401K into my small farm. Then I shall write nonfiction. try small farming, raise a few chickens, and lend myself out to a bee-keeper who knows what he is doing.

Ok, since you can afford labour. I have tried farm work a few times, and beating your head on a wall is better for you and more fun!

MisterVeritis
04-15-2016, 10:08 AM
Ok, since you can afford labour. I have tried farm work a few times, and beating your head on a wall is better for you and more fun!
This is very small farming. I will begin with a rain gutter system with nine five-gallon buckets. I will also have one raised bed 10 feet x 4 feet. If I enjoy it and if it is fruitful, I will double to two of each. I plan to have a variety of fruit trees and a few chickens.

Your insights are valuable. What was the most difficult part of small farming?