Decline of the Domestic and Wild Honey Bee

[kimikat]

news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1005_041005_honeybees.html

I found this article on National Geographic, it discusses how the varroa mite, as well as other parasites, and the treating of crops with pesticides are causing the decline, and how it is effecting bee populations all over the world.

[Alan]

Wild honey bees here in southern Indiana are nearly a thing of the past. I have not seen a swarm of wild honey bees in at least 4-5 years, I only know of two that were reported in Washington County Indiana this past summer to the Purdue University Extension office and our local bee keeper. When I find the time, I have a link somewhere about breeding experiments, with older european, indian, and african bees to breed in resistance to the mite. NPR also had a show about this on last summer, I will see if I can find a link to it as well.
-Alan

also I think it is important to know the usefullness of both wild and domestic honey bees here in North America. While much of our vegetable produce is pollinated by wind and is self fertile (pollinate themselves) many of our fruit crops are not. With the decline of bees you could likely see a decline in many fruit crops around the U.S. and Canada. Bees also have many medicinal uses. While some people are allergic to bees there is a lot of research being done right now on the use of bee venom in fighting arthritus and gout. As well local bee polen and honey are known to help build immunity to local allergens (thank god!), and Royal Jelly (a secretion of the honey bee) is actually the most vitamin loaded substance known to mankind.

[Alan]

Here is a great mp3 audio clip from our local NPR station's show HomeGrown with Jeneen Wiche and Bob Hill from WFPL in Louisville KY about Bees and Bee Keeping:
216.24.56.185:8080/WFPL%27s%20Home%20Grown/
Scroll down to the March 18, 2006 show. Hope this helps.

[hoosierheightsfarm]

I've heard a rumor that the increase in cell phone usage has had an effect on the bees ability to navigate and has caused the decline in numbers.
I tend to think that this isn't true, as the earth is continually bombarded by RF radiation from space. But maybe the speed at which the cell phones have proliferated has something to do with it. An interesting thought.

Patrick

[johno]

I asked my friend Chad, who sells honey, about this CCD business... He says that its a problem apiarists have been battling for 15 years, but only when a wealthy bee herder decided to take it to the media did it start to draw attention. Chad thinks the problem with domesticated bee populations is directly related to the corn syrup (from GMO corn) they feed their bees during the winter.