[dvan]

This is a serious problem that requires immediate action.

[MamaB]

This is what I first thought of when I heard about the bees dying. I have seen several in my yard lately, though.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Not to make light of a very serious situation, but can’t the Dems pass a law or something?

[Sunnyflorida]

“This is a serious problem that requires immediate action.”

This is hysteria.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Albert Einstein once said, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left.”

No, he didn't.

And any article that begins by blatantly demonstrating the author's lack of research skill and allergy to fact checking is not worth reading.

[Redcloak]

When an article starts with a false quotation, it's usually not a good sign.

But I digress...

WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!! 

[thiscouldbemoreconfusing]

I am only asking, not specualting, just asking a question: Could the changing of the structure of foods be a cause? I am thinking GMO’s and the like.

[mjp]

The most serious pest or disease of honeybees in the 20th century has undoubtedly been the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa jacobsoni. Relatively harmless on its natural host, the Eastern honeybee Apis cerana, the varroa mite has recently crossed onto the Western honeybee Apis mellifera and spread from its Asian origins throughout most of the world.

[Suzy Quzy]

Famines, Wars, earthquakes.....all signs of End Times.

[EagleUSA]

OK, it is time for the Pollen Tax.

[unspun]

Genetic modification is like a 4 year old getting into the chemicals in the garage cabinet.

This is one thing some of the European socialist nations have right, compared to the United States.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

It’s been happening here in Florida. Bee keepers say there swarms have just disappeared. Hives are empty. Bees are not the only insects that pollinate, but they are the only ones that have a commercial use. Hopefully, someone will figure out what's going on.

[Mark]

Rush brought this up weeks ago and he took it seriously until hearing that it was baseless.

[Viking2002]

I was reading a 'net article about a week ago, blaming - dig this - CELLPHONES for the bee die-offs. They think radiation from the phones cause the bees to lose their navigational capabilities, and can't find their way back to the hive. I bet Ted Kaczynski is penning love letters to these guys.

[I see my hands]

"Large bee losses are not unheard of. They have been reported at several points in the past century."
- nyt.com 4-24-07 -

No need to fear nature's patterns.

[Post-Neolithic]

Not sure about the cause, but here in PA I haven't seen one Honey Bee on any of my bushes, plants or trees. Everything has been flowering like crazy but zero honey bees.

This is the first year I have seen it this way. Used to have to avoid the bushes during the day because of all the bees. Also heard that the wild bees have been gone for a couple of years now, anyone confirm or deny this?

[sageb1]

More

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_506012.html

Apple growers in Pa. enter crucial pollination period

[cowtowney]

bmp

[Pilsner]

A local talk radio garden guy has been saying the bee die off is probably related to GM plants. He sounds just like this story. Paranoid.

I'm not saying there is no relation, I'm just saying that the folks crying about GM plants killing bees didn't go out and do the research and come to that conclusion. They started out hating and fearing GM plants, and hearing of trouble with an unknown cause, they decided to blame it on GM plants. A hundred years ago they would have blamed the bee die off on the Jews.

Oh, and if breeding plants that are naturally resistant to bugs is a bad thing, then I guess these Greenies want us to go back to un modified plants, and spray them with DDT? Try that on one of them, and watch him/her choke on their organic, fair trade, decafe latte.

Honey prices in April of 2007 are 103.16% of honey prices in April of 2004 -- $3.92# in 2007 vs. $3.80# in 2004. See graph:

http://www.honey.com/honeyindustry/stats/PriceRetail.htm

According to the Department of Labor consumer price index calculator, it takes $1.0871 in this part of 2007 to equal $1.00 in 2004. See calculator:

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl

1.0871 (what it takes to equal a 2004 dollar) times $3.80# (what honey cost in April 2004) is $4.13. So, adjusted for inflation, the rapidly rising price of honey has skyrocketed up to 94.92% of what honey cost in April 2004, before the great bee die off began.

[Alouette]

Goodbye, and thanks for all the nectar!

[DvdMom]

Another Missing Bee Article , Really Intersting Info : )Ping