Posted on 06/07/2013 5:49:19 AM PDT by chessplayer
(Phys.org) —A team of entomologists from the University of Illinois has found a possible link between the practice of feeding commercial honeybees high-fructose corn syrup and the collapse of honeybee colonies around the world. The team outlines their research and findings in a paper they've had published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers aren't suggesting that high-fructose corn syrup is itself toxic to bees, instead, they say their findings indicate that by eating the replacement food instead of honey, the bees are not being exposed to other chemicals that help the bees fight off toxins, such as those found in pesticides.
Specifically, they found that when bees are exposed to the enzyme p-coumaric, their immune system appears stronger—it turns on detoxification genes. P-coumaric is found in pollen walls, not nectar, and makes its way into honey inadvertently via sticking to the legs of bees as they visit flowers. Similarly, the team discovered other compounds found in poplar sap that appear to do much the same thing. It all together adds up to a diet that helps bees fight off toxins, the researchers report. Taking away the honey to sell it, and feeding the bees high-fructose corn syrup instead, they claim, compromises their immune systems, making them more vulnerable to the toxins that are meant to kill other bugs.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
How about us. Are humans in the same pickle?
Some combination of chemtrails and Project HAARP seems more likely.
I read on another thread that it is all Monsanto’s fault. Putin apparently thinks so too, if you believe those posters.
Honey Bee Handouts destroy an orderly society. Who would have believed that was possible?
Did you forget the sarcasm tag?
So unnatural food can have negative side effects?
Shut up, hippie kook and eat your GMO fruit with fish genes spliced in... it’s harmless.
Bee ghettos coming to a hive near you soon.
This seems like it could be a strong factor, although most of the beekeepers I know use sugar water rather than corn syrup.
Guy across the road has a couple hives. He doesn’t use anything. They still suffered this past year. I have seen a total of FIVE bees this spring. Usually I see hundreds, especially in the clover field in my back.
This year I’ve seen TWO bees in the clover.
There are two possible areas where this could be true. A lot of high fructose corn syrup is made with geneticly modifed corn and glyphosate (Round Up) will kill bees.
It’s becoming nearly impossible to buy food that does not contain corn sweetener. ADM, Cargill, et al, must be pleased with their results.
Yup. It’s unreal.
Our bodies have adapted for tens of thousands of years to process and utilize nutrients. You up and change it, trick the body into thinking it’s the same thing, and be surprised when it doesn’t work.
They even mess with honey. I have always known honey doesn’t go bad, every bottle of “100% honey” has gone bad before we finish the bottle.
I haven’t seen ANY bees in south Florida.
Which is why I will not buy farmed fish. They are fed the equivalent of junk food.
My system cannot tolerate HFC.
“The researchers aren’t suggesting that high-fructose corn syrup is itself toxic to bees, instead, they say their findings indicate that by eating the replacement food instead of honey, the bees are not being exposed to other chemicals that help the bees fight off toxins, such as those found in pesticides.”
This actually might make some sense, since honey has natural antibiotic and antibacterial properties. Still, wild bee populations are not being fed corn syrup, and they are being impacted too, so I doubt this is the primary cause.
Honey Bee Handouts destroy an orderly society. Who would have believed that was possible?
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Well played!
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