More Buzz on the Bees
The buzz on bees
Pulse of the Twin Cities - MN, June 5, 2007
Straight to the Source


The news has been full of stories on honeybee disappearances
throughout the U.S. While no one cause for "Colony Collapse Disorder"
has been identified, many ideas have been generated; and while no one
has the answer yet, everyone can agree that this is an issue with far
reaching implications for our species and others.

The honeybee pollinates approximately one-third of our food products,
such as citrus trees, and their hives provide us with sweet honey.
The contribution of honeybees cannot be underestimated, as fruit, nut
and vegetable growers that require bee pollination have an economic
value of $15 billion, according to a Cornell University study.

Whether the cause of this bee loss is mobile phone usage, GMO crops
or pesticide use, certainly all can agree that our bees (and
environment) have been ill-used by humans. According to current
information, the leading culprit for the bee loss is infestations of
Varroa mites, which burrow into the hives. A well-respected scientist
from UC-SF found that a parasite called Nosema Ceranae was in some
dead bees, and this parasite has been shown by researchers in Spain
to be able to wipe out entire hives. However, the bee population is
not so much dying as simply disappearing.

Cell Phones? A widely circulated report originating in the
Independent, a newspaper in the UK, created a good deal of fear by
reporting that cell phones can wreak havoc on bees' internal
navigation systems, causing them to lose their homing instinct. Some
towns in the UK are refusing to construct cell phone towers until
proof can be provided that these towers do not cause harm to bees.
The study cited by the Independent was conducted by a German college
that had tested only 15 bees, so further inquiry is definitely
required before the results of this study are accepted as fact.

Reports from the Organic Consumers Association state that bee losses
are affecting commercial, and not organic, beekeepers. Commercial
beekeepers breed bees to be larger than they would grow in their
natural habitats and larger bees create larger holes in beehives.
Some theorize that, with these larger holes, mites may more readily
enter and infest the hive, which the bees will then abandon. In
Minnesota, researchers at the U of M Extension Service Bee Lab think
that the massive bee disappearance may be caused by many factors
coming to a head for these sensitive creatures. Overuse of pesticides
was called out as a death knell to pollinators in Rachel
Carson's "Silent Spring" 40 years ago, and we now use twice as much
pesticide on our agricultural land. Combine an abused immune system
with more aggressive mites and lots of "electrosmog" messing with an
internal sense of direction, and you have one sick honeybee! So, what
can we do to help?

Don't Panic! This is not a problem that can be solved overnight, but
a good first step is to support the organic beekeepers in your area:
buy their products and support them economically in their efforts to
protect the earth and bees' health. Another good step is to support
organizations like Heifer International, which will ship a honeybee
hive to needy people in developing nations for only $30, a pittance
compared to the long-term value and health benefits of a hive. In the
meantime, please check out the following informative links:

http://www.organicconsumers.org
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles
http://www.bushfarms.org
http://www.heifer.org

Information courtesty of the University of Minnesota-Extension and
Intelligent Nutrients, Minneapolis.