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This study takes Varroa mites into account. The hives in all groups were infested and responded to treatment identically. On the other hand, hives treated with

by pygy_ 13y ago

This study takes Varroa mites into account. The hives in all groups were infested and responded to treatment identically. On the other hand, hives treated with neonicotinoids were deserted during the winter. It's good to know that the CCD hasn't had any impact on the economy.

tptacek 12y ago
Just to be clear: the issue is not that the economy is more important than ecology. I don't think it is. The issue is that the economy is a proxy for how serious the ecological issue is. To wit: if pesticides are wiping out the honeybees, and honeybees are in very high demand to pollinate crops (they are: honeybees are trucked from Virginia to California to work the pollination circuit), the economy should clearly indicate that ecological problem happening. The point about the Varroa mites is tangential. Or rather, two tangents: 1. Compared to even double-digit overwintering losses, pesticides are nothing close to the problem that mites were; mites eradicated the wild honeybee population! According to the EconTalk interview (this blew my mind and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a drastic oversimplification), if you see a bee in your backyard, and it's actually a honeybee, it's domesticated; its home is some apiarist's colony nearby. 2. The honeybees we're concerned about are themselves not native to the US. Honeybees are a species people introduced to North America.
- 001sky 12y ago
  This is useful perspective. Like anything that has deteriorated in the last 100 years... "Bees and the crops they pollinate are at risk from climate change, IPCC report to warn" (7:00AM GMT 29 Mar 2014) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/10730667/Bees-and-the-crops-they-pollinate-are-at-risk-from-climate-change-IPCC-report-to-warn.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/10730667/Bees-and... There is alot of multi-colinearity in these data-sets, and the attribution issues are non-trivial.
- pygy_ 12y ago
  > Just to be clear: the issue is not that the economy is more important than ecology. I don't think it is. The issue is that the economy is a proxy for how serious the ecological issue is. That's how I interpreted it.
- lotsofmangos 12y ago
  Looking at prices for queens would give an indication in an unregulated market. The honeybee industry is widely subsidised by government though, so the price may be being kept stable artificially.

by pygy_ 13y ago

tptacek 12y ago

Just to be clear: the issue is not that the economy is more important than ecology. I don't think it is. The issue is that the economy is a proxy for how serious the ecological issue is. To wit: if pesticides are wiping out the honeybees, and honeybees are in very high demand to pollinate crops (they are: honeybees are trucked from Virginia to California to work the pollination circuit), the economy should clearly indicate that ecological problem happening. The point about the Varroa mites is tangential. Or rather, two tangents: 1. Compared to even double-digit overwintering losses, pesticides are nothing close to the problem that mites were; mites eradicated the wild honeybee population! According to the EconTalk interview (this blew my mind and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a drastic oversimplification), if you see a bee in your backyard, and it's actually a honeybee, it's domesticated; its home is some apiarist's colony nearby. 2. The honeybees we're concerned about are themselves not native to the US. Honeybees are a species people introduced to North America.

001sky 12y ago
This is useful perspective. Like anything that has deteriorated in the last 100 years... "Bees and the crops they pollinate are at risk from climate change, IPCC report to warn" (7:00AM GMT 29 Mar 2014) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/10730667/Bees-and-the-crops-they-pollinate-are-at-risk-from-climate-change-IPCC-report-to-warn.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/10730667/Bees-and... There is alot of multi-colinearity in these data-sets, and the attribution issues are non-trivial.
pygy_ 12y ago
> Just to be clear: the issue is not that the economy is more important than ecology. I don't think it is. The issue is that the economy is a proxy for how serious the ecological issue is. That's how I interpreted it.
lotsofmangos 12y ago
Looking at prices for queens would give an indication in an unregulated market. The honeybee industry is widely subsidised by government though, so the price may be being kept stable artificially.