4 ms·
This article is a bit superficial. CCD is more than just pesticides killing bees. The invasive varroa mite is likely a big factor. It’s a good thing that he is
by sagebird 8y ago
This article is a bit superficial. CCD is more than just pesticides killing bees. The invasive varroa mite is likely a big factor. It’s a good thing that he is taking care of bees. The solution might be more complex than sanctuaries though— IE how can we reduce the mite population?
Potential CCD Causes According to EPA:
... researchers who are leading the effort to find out why are now focused on these factors:
Increased losses due to the invasive varroa mite (a pest of honey bees).
New or emerging diseases such as Israeli Acute Paralysis virus and the gut parasite Nosema.
Pesticide poisoning through exposure to pesticides applied to crops or for in-hive insect or mite control.
Stress bees experience due to management practices such as transportation to multiple locations across the country for providing pollination services.
Changes to the habitat where bees forage.
Inadequate forage/poor nutrition.
Potential immune-suppressing stress on bees caused by one or a combination of factors identified above.
- rob74 8y agoWell, one of the theories is that pesticides weaken bees and make them more vulnerable to varroa mites and other parasites, diseases etc. (the "potential immune-suppressing stress" in your quote).
- lostlogin 8y agoOnce you get on top of varroa it is amazing how fast a hive grows. It seems to take a while for other problems to subside (sac brood, deformed wing virus etc) and a requeening seems to be required sometimes. I’ve been using a variation on the Randy Oliver method with oxalic acid and it’s bring the varroa down fast when used. Weekly counts of varroa on a cup of bees has been (averaged) 15, 12, 8, 4, then 1 or 2 last weekend. The behaviour of the hives has changed too, and they are more settled (or as settled as can be, mid robbing season).
- adolph 8y agoI like bees, but aren't they effectively an invasive species too? When temperatures increased, fauna and habitat changed drastically, causing the extinction of Apis in the New World until they were reintroduced by European settlers in 1622 (Engel et al. 2009). https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/97006/UMURJ-Issue09_2012-EWeber.pdf?sequence=1 https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/9700...
- exfed 8y agoDepends upon what bee specific species and where. "Honey bees" (genus Apis) alone comprise several species which may or may not be considered invasive. In the particular case of the linked UMich paper, Apis mellifera (note: species mellifera, the Western/European Honey Bee) is definitely an invasive species to North America. This says nothing of the, arguably more important, wild bee population, e.g. bumble bees (genus Bombus) ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_honey_bee#Claims_of_human_dependency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_honey_bee#Claims_of_hu...
- nkurz 8y agoEuropean honey bees are an "introduced species"[1], but this doesn't in itself make them an "invasive species"[2]. To be labeled invasive, they also have to be causing harm to their new ecosystem. While there might be some ways that honey bees are harmful[3], they aren't usually considered invasive. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduced_species https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduced_species [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_species https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_species [3] https://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/16-067_02_Overview-of-the-Potential-Impacts-of-Honey-Bees_web.pdf https://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/16-067_02_...
- mixmastamyk 8y agoWhat about those "africanized" honey bees in the news a decade or so back?