3 replies to this topic

[rwac]

in a first-of-its-kind study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists at the University of Maryland and the US Department of Agriculture have identified a witch’s brew of pesticides and fungicides contaminating pollen that bees collect to feed their hives. The findings break new ground on why large numbers of bees are dying though they do not identify the specific cause of CCD, where an entire beehive dies at once.

http://qz.com/107970...an-you-thought/


Crop Pollination Exposes Honey Bees to Pesticides Which Alters Their Susceptibility to the Gut Pathogen Nosema ceranae

Abstract

Recent declines in honey bee populations and increasing demand for insect-pollinated crops raise concerns about pollinator shortages. Pesticide exposure and pathogens may interact to have strong negative effects on managed honey bee colonies. Such findings are of great concern given the large numbers and high levels of pesticides found in honey bee colonies. Thus it is crucial to determine how field-relevant combinations and loads of pesticides affect bee health. We collected pollen from bee hives in seven major crops to determine 1) what types of pesticides bees are exposed to when rented for pollination of various crops and 2) how field-relevant pesticide blends affect bees’ susceptibility to the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Our samples represent pollen collected by foragers for use by the colony, and do not necessarily indicate foragers’ roles as pollinators. In blueberry, cranberry, cucumber, pumpkin and watermelon bees collected pollen almost exclusively from weeds and wildflowers during our sampling. Thus more attention must be paid to how honey bees are exposed to pesticides outside of the field in which they are placed. We detected 35 different pesticides in the sampled pollen, and found high fungicide loads. The insecticides esfenvalerate and phosmet were at a concentration higher than their median lethal dose in at least one pollen sample. While fungicides are typically seen as fairly safe for honey bees, we found an increased probability of Nosema infection in bees that consumed pollen with a higher fungicide load. Our results highlight a need for research on sub-lethal effects of fungicides and other chemicals that bees placed in an agricultural setting are exposed to.

[Layberinthius]

I read about this and have heard of it being a 'dooming' prospect for the last 10 years.

Makes me wonder if the human race has a future. Seeing as my survival depends upon the human race I am greatly concerned about anything involving my food supply and the life of a large chunk of the worlds crops. I should definatley get into growing my own food.

Are we all really that obsessed with profit that we have ignored crucial research into covering our asses when our own pollution comes to bite the world in the ass?

Edited by Layberinthius, 15 August 2013 - 12:39 PM.

[evolvedhuman2012]

the rise of the corporation and it's design as a vehicle that placed profit above all else has been compared to clinical diagnosis of a psycopath. hundred of companies, most have been household names have been cited as continuously lying for profit. some 200 years of existence? perhaps it's matter of system structure rather people that are the key problems.

Edited by evolvedhuman2012, 16 August 2013 - 11:32 PM.

[Layberinthius]

I love fudge too much to discount the human race just like that. It stands to reason that a psychopath would put lethal chemicals or metals into a packet of fudge mix inorder to cut down on costs.

It never used to be like that, when we had a lower population and a large domestic workforce and manufacturing sector we were "happier", but I am sourcing my reasoning for thinking this from hollywood.

In either case fudge is awesome, but overpopulation is not, this is in my view simply a case of overloading the entire ecosystem to the point that it screams bloody murder. We are at fault and we need to get off the 'corporate' food trough just to prevent it from collapsing.

I advocate that anyone who can, pickup a rake and start farming, it will be a lesser burden on the rest of the ecosystem and you will have a redundant supply of food just incase things actually do go sour.