A Parasite Devastates Bees, and Farmers Are Worried

NY Times ^ | May 2, 2005 | IVER PETERSON

[Fiddlstix]

This has been reported in the American Bee Journal for years. It's nothing new. Just fyi. Thanks for posting this as there are probably a lot of people unaware of these mites.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

From a distance (see it hanging in the middle of the photo?)

A little closer

and closer still

Just a few weeks ago. About an hour after the photos were taken, the branch snapped and the sky was a cloud of bees.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

Perhaps just an odd coincidence..........

About the time that the Africanized KILLER BEES were to invade Calif., the honey bees started dying & the dreaded killer bee infestation never happened

Odd or ????

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
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[E.G.C.]

BTT!!!!!

[GOP_1900AD]

Genetically engineer it to selectively go after Africanized (aka "killer") bees ....

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

What's the big deal? It's just some foreign parasites killing the bees that American parasites won't.

Yeah, sounds like we need some Minutebees to take care of this problem right here!

More seriously, if this bee die-off continues, America's agricultural sector, and by implication, the rest of us, could be in for a Royal Screwing...

[Ole Okie]

It's Bush's fault because he reneged on Kyoto so Halliburton could make profits.

There's even a dark rumor going around that the president is advocating building AWL refineries on military bases.

You know, awl? That stuff that Jed Clampitt made famous on his hillbilly show? Black gold AWL.

Them there awl refineries might obstruct Fatso Edward M Kennedy's view of the ocean (*hic*), so obviously this rumor is DOA.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[passionfruit]

I have friends who had a bee business in Washington State in the 1980's, and possibly still do. They moved hives of bees from orchard to orchard during apple blossom season. They were hired by the orchardists who wanted to have a better crop, and they sold the most amazing delicate apple blossom honey. This wasn't because of any kind of mite. Just good orchard practice.

My husband and I bought an apple Orchard in California's San Bernardino mountains. It is about at the 6000 foot level. Our orchard is just coming into bloom so we just took two colonies up there.

Our problem hasn't been mites (yet, thank God!). It has been bears. They tear up a hive and kill the bees.

[vetvetdoug]

I believe the mites can be controlled by administration of amitraz placed in the corner of each hive.

[Ditter]

What has happened to wild bees or natural bees or however you refer to them? When we lived in the country there was a hive in a hollow tree on the edge of our yard. I see bees in my back yard here in Houston. Don't wild bees live in the fruit growing areas like WA? Why do they have to be imported?

[calex59]

Honey bees are not the only insects that pollinate plants and crops. Bees( the honey variety) are not indigenous to North America and had to be imported from Europe and before we had bees, wasps and other insects pollinated plants. We can survive without bees, our crops will continue to grow, but I doubt if we have to, they will fix the problem and bees will go on!

[editor-surveyor]

We went through this in the early 80s. A friend who is an apiarist lost about 200 hives out of 350. the mite is an oppotunist that likes the cold weather that we've had for the last few years. When the weather cycle turns warm again, the mites will die off, and the bee populations will rebound. 81-83 were cold wet years too, so it all matches up.

Unfortunately, the doom-sayers are not dissuaded in any cycle.

[editor-surveyor]

"You know, awl? That stuff that Jed Clampitt made famous on his hillbilly show? Black gold AWL."

You mean Erl?

[SierraWasp]

"81-83 were cold wet years too."

El Neenyo years, dont'cha know... Cold war years, don'tcha rememmer... Economic contraction years, but best of all... the beginning of the REAGAN YEARS!!!

You know, alla us busy bees have parasites sucking out our substance too! It's call malignant government parasitic growth!!!

[Yosemitest]

Jarhead. Someone needs to open the jar and pour in some knowledge. If you like to eat, then you'll be concerned.

[editor-surveyor]

And someone needs to open your jar and pour in a sense of humor (the rest of us got it - where were you?)

[Ole Okie]

you mean erl?

No, in Oklahoma and Texas, it's awl. You find awl in petroliferous provinces.

Erl sounds like Yankee talk. ;^)

[editor-surveyor]

" the beginning of the REAGAN YEARS!!!"

I knew some mean old wee-publican had something to do with it :o)