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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SiouxPal who wrote (103817)	4/3/2007 4:50:20 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 362807

I'm seeing wild bees. A friend has healthy hives. Haven't asked my other friends yet. We've banned GMOs. Radio show on this; I was given a CD; will send it to Tim when I get it back... Recap Disappearing Honey Bees During the first two hours of the program, investigative reporter and author Linda Moulton Howe gave an update on the disappearing honey bees and what may be the cause. Linda said massive disappearances of honey bees have been reported in 25 states over the past six months. One beekeeper she spoke to said he has lost 96% of the 13,000 healthy, full hives he once had. So far, experts still do not know what's causing the honey bee die-offs. Entomologist Dr. Diana Cox-Foster analyzed some honey bees from a deserted hive and found twice the usual amount of pathogens in them, Linda reported. This could imply that their immune systems have been seriously damaged by something in the environment, Linda suggested, leaving the honey bees more susceptible to disease. According to her report, the rise of genetically modified crops and resulting herbicide-resistant weeds has led farmers to use increasing amounts of poison to deal with the problem. This accumulation of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides in the environment could be what's to blame for the declining population of honey bees. The dramatic loss of honey bees and other pollinators across North America may also impact U.S. food production and force American dependence on other countries for food, Linda concluded. Read more at Earthfiles.com. The last half of the show featured Open Lines, with a special line for callers who wanted to share their 'crazy stories'. Related Articles Honey Bee CCD Map To accompany her presentation, Linda Moulton Howe has provided this map of the U.S. states affected by Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Some beekeepers have reported losing 60% to nearly 100% of their honey bee colonies, and to date no single explanation has been found for the widespread die-off. A consortium of researchers and government officials called the CCD Working Group is currently working on the problem. Click here for a larger map. Map courtesy of Bee Alert Technology, Inc. coasttocoastam.com ================= Honey Bee Disappearances Continue: Could Pesticides Play A Role? © 2007 by Linda Moulton Howe "How much of our food production do we want to turn over to other countries that might be friendly now and not friendly in the future? The federal government is looking at this and my question is: Are honey bees the canary in the coal mine? What are honey bees trying to tell us that we humans should be paying more attention to?" - Jerry Hayes, Chief, Apiary Section, Florida Dept. of Agriculture, Gainsville, Florida ==== EPA-Approved Fungicides Can Kill Brood and Young Bees Another bee expert at the University of California in Davis has discovered that some EPA-approved fungicides that don’t kill adult honey bees, do kill bee larvae and young bees. Eric Mussen, Ph.D., is an entomologist and Extension Apiculturist at UC-Davis. He is concerned that some EPA approval criteria only applies to adult honey bees and does not protect the larvae brood and young bees. == Nicotine-Based Pesticides Interfere with Honey Bee Memories In the past six years, a new group of nicotine-based pesticides have emerged called neonicotinoids. The most common is imidachloprid. Ironically, these were originally manufactured to be less lethal. But about four years ago, French and Italian beekeepers complained that imidachloprid crop spraying was killing their honey bees. So the French and Italian governments banned the nicotine-based pesticides. Nicotine-Based Pesticides Interfere with Honey Bee Memories In the past six years, a new group of nicotine-based pesticides have emerged called neonicotinoids. The most common is imidachloprid. Ironically, these were originally manufactured to be less lethal. But about four years ago, French and Italian beekeepers complained that imidachloprid crop spraying was killing their honey bees. So the French and Italian governments banned the nicotine-based pesticides. earthfiles.com