Comments on: Are Cell Phones Wiping Out Bees?

By: Bob Michaels

Bob Michaels — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:17:57 +0000

a Pathogen and a parasite are the likely culprits according to a posting on todays Science Daily

By: Mnynames

Mnynames — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 03:15:00 +0000

Domestic bees have been in decline for quite some time now. I can recall hearing about this perhaps as much as a decade ago, so somehow I doubt that cell phones are a big factor. Regardless, we better care about what’s happening to all these bees, because, as bad as it might be for the environment in general, their complete disappearance will be hell on us, since they pollinate so many of our crops.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:53:49 +0000

Nightbird- Interesting post. I hadn’t heard that take on it before and the big reason could be exactly because it is getting next to no press coverage. What I had read up to now places the problem pretty squarly on the mites and gave very plausible scenarios for how this is occuring. Your information casts that in a different light which I find very interesting. Thank you for the new info!

By: Nightbird

Nightbird — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 07:01:31 +0000

I think alot of people are not getting the full story of the Bee problem, and therefore they are focusing on the Mites and think that is the problem -but according to many beekeepers this has nothing to do with mites. The Mite problem is nothing new, but the main difference between bees dying from mites and from what is happening now is that people are not understanding that the hives are almost EMPTY. When mites attack the bees and they dye, the bees dye within the hive usually. The problem that is occuring now, from my understanding, is not mite related because there are not large amounts of dead bees in the hives, quite the contrary, the bees simply seem to leave the hive and not return, which is totally different than them dying due to mites. I have heard several different theories as to what is causing this: Genetically modified plants and their pollen adversely affecting bees, overuse and abuse of pesticides, cell phone towers disrupting the bees ability to find their way home, much the same way storms affect a homeing pigeons ability to find it’s way back to the roost, and even UV rays being so strong now they are literally making the bees blind so at to prevent them from navigating correctly to find pollen and make it back to the hive. I tend to think it is something man has done, as we have a hideously large record of filling our environment with chemicals, pollutants and goodness only knows what else. While bees are amazingly resilient little things, their dissapearance should be sending huge warning signals to scientists and the general public that something is seriously wrong, much the same way as when frogs started developing extra limbs and other deformities. Sadly, this is getting almost no press on the big media outlets such as CNN, and at this rate, by the time we found out what the problem might be, we won’t have any more bees left. So I seriously suggest all of you honey lovers out there to stock up on honey, because at this rate, we won’t have any more very soon.

By: springheeledjack

springheeledjack — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:18:17 +0000

How did they make the link from cell phones to bees? Is there some study or something that this article leaves out, or are they just looking for a scape goat? On the other hand, cell phone tech is new, and like most things, we won’t know the real ramifications of cell phones on the air waves for decades to come.

Ain’t I a cheery feller?

By: swnoel

swnoel — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 18:47:14 +0000

There is no question that parasites were and are a problem with his domesticated colonies, I believe and maybe wrong but he controlled the problem with something like menthol.

He had bees for years , before he was problemed with mites, he noticed the rapid decline in wild bees, mites were not a real issue then.

He suspected it was due to the increase use of pesticides in gardens, orchards, and yards.

He use to bring his bees to orchards and got quite upset because the growers would spray during pollination time killing a large number of his bees.

The same pests they sprayed for, killed his bees.

I’m certainly not beating a drum for the elimination of pesticides, just that most people never think about the ramification of the use of them.

As I sit here now, I watch the snow fall , with the prediction for up to 10 inches, and think about how global warming must be the reason for this.

By: Porkchop

Porkchop — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 17:35:07 +0000

swnoel,

A PRI show called Living on Earth has been talking about colonies of domestic bees being obliterated for at the last couple of months. Literally vanishing. loe.org is their website, its a great show.

btw, Irony doesn’t come across well in this channel of communication, (the rest of your message suggests you are being ironical) so I’m just pointing out your “Silent Spring” comment leaves you open to trolls, in a fashion.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:50:52 +0000

Swnoel- Well, I know nothing of beekeeping, I’ll be honest. But I read an article recently saying that the threat was very real for domesticated bees and that whole hives had been wiped out in some areas. I don’t pretend at all to know a whole lot about this subject, but that is what I read. It is the same article that mentioned the mite resistant Russian bees.

By: swnoel

swnoel — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:06:50 +0000

I have a bee keeper friend who discussed this issue with me a couple of years ago.

We’re talking wild bees not domesticated.

Parisites and pesticides are some of the problem along with the cutting of woodlots and dead trees.

Dead trees afford protection to insects along with many birds and mammals.

More and more people are using pesticides on lawns, flowers , and gardens…the enviroment is now polluted with literally tons of pesticides.

The smaller animals have become effected, frogs, lizards , salamanders. Wild Honeybee colonies are almost non exisistant.

Oh well ,”Silent Spring” was only fiction.

By: captiannemo

captiannemo — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:27:20 +0000

They better find a fix and quick!