Cure For Honey Bee Colony Collapse?

ScienceDaily ^ | Apr. 14, 2009 | unattributed

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

For the first time, scientists have isolated the parasite Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) from professional apiaries suffering from honey bee colony depopulation syndrome. They then went on to treat the infection with complete success.

In a study published in the new journal from the Society for Applied Microbiology: Environmental Microbiology Reports, scientists from Spain analysed two apiaries and found evidence of honey bee colony depopulation syndrome (also known as colony collapse disorder in the USA)...

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

...They found no evidence of any other cause of the disease (such as the Varroa destructor, IAPV or pesticides), other than infection with Nosema ceranae. The researchers then treated the infected surviving under-populated colonies with the antibiotic drug, flumagillin and demonstrated complete recovery of all infected colonies...

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

FYI...

[bpjam]

lets hope this is the real cause and this sticks.

Obama ain’t smart enough to realize how many jobs disappear if we don’t have bees. But I’d bet money that if the bees come back he will claim credit for every job having been ‘saved’.

I didn’t get worried about Bird Flu. I didn’t bother with Conflicker. But the thought of massive bee colony collapse could make me lose sleep the same way $150bbl oil did.

[stboz]

For all you low-life enviro-wackoviches, IT WASN'T PESTICIDES.

Doesn't that really bite you?????? I hope you pigs itch where you can't scratch.

[texas booster]

And just how does one inject honeybees with antibiotics?

[Tainan]

I wish them good luck with this.

Honey bees are an incredibly important part of the ecology.

[Paleo Conservative]

Here in south Texas, we have Africanized bees that crossed the Mexican border. Maybe they’ll do the work that domestic honey bees won’t?

[Paleo Conservative]

And just how does one inject honeybees with antibiotics?

Very carefully!

[livius]

That’s very good news! Florida (where I live) is, of course, heavily dependent on its honeybees for pollination and growers have been concerned. I don’t believe the problem is that far advanced in all parts of Florida yet...maybe this will halt it. That would certainly be nice, a tiny bit of good news!

[razorback-bert]

I am sure the parasite Nosema ceranae only rose up, because of Global Warming.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It was, after all, the logical answer.

Some times I think we become so busy looking for zebras that we tend to ignore the herd of horses thundering past.

It is good to know that some researchers are still doing their job.

[Americanchild]

Yeah! The honey is saved! I was getting the shakes thinking about a honey shortage...

But how exactly do you give a bee an antibiotic treatment??

[Raycpa]

[DGHoodini]

Very good news if true. That makes two good things for the day. This and that diseased rat Rall being fired.

[SouthDixie]

Honeybees are attacked by numerous pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.

Clusters of blister beetle larvae mimic female bees in an act of deception so successful that male bees try to mate with them and bring them back to the nest. There the larvae live in the lap of bee luxury by receiving free food and shelter, according to a new study.
Scientists believe the behavior is the first known example of cooperative, aggressive mimicry among insects.
Cooperation is involved since the larvae stack up on top of each other and work as a unit to mimic just one female bee. The act is aggressive because, once in the bee’s nest, the sneaky parasites either eat the egg or the bees' hard-won food.

[Red Boots]

For all you low-life enviro-wackoviches, IT WASN'T PESTICIDES.

Yeah- or cell phone towers. And it didn't wipe out every bee, flower, and flowering tree, nor cause total environmental collapse.

[Western Phil]

“But how exactly do you give a bee an antibiotic treatment??”

Most likely they eat it - mix it with powdered sugar.

[PAR35]

And just how does one inject honeybees with antibiotics?

With a very small needle, of course.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Here in south Texas, we have Africanized bees that crossed the Mexican border.***

BUILD THE WALL! DEPORT THEM! But then, they are only doing the work American bees won’t do. WAIT! Those are AFRICAN bees! What is wrong with that picture?

Ok. Sarc/off

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I speculated the other day the much of the problem lies with the dual use of the honey bee, both for their honey, and beekeepers moving them around by truck to pollinate farmer’s fields.

If they were just used for honey, honey bees would be much less likely to share mite infestations with other hives.

My speculation was that there are about 20,000 different species of bee in nine families, and many of them would be just as suitable for pollination, alone, than would honey bees, even if they produced no honey at all. So beekeepers could keep both kinds of bees, travel around with the other kind of bee for pollination services, and keep the honey bees at home to make honey.

And because premium honey is based on just one kind of flower, like clover, mesquite, sunflower, etc., keeping the honey bees at home, near that particular crop, would likely reduce blending of flavors from other flowers.