"Why are all the honey bees dying? One seed treated to protect from insects has the strength to kill 80,000 bee." ~ Cynthia G. Creel April 4, 2013

"Why are all the honey bees dying?

One seed treated to protect from insects has the 

strength to  kill 80,000 bee."

~ Cynthia G. Creel
April 4, 2013

My Story:


I stepped out of the car to hear the buzz of hundreds of bees pollinating the lemons. I am always excited to see each little bee doing there job in helping to create food and honey.  At points the buzzing can be so loud it just makes you wonder how many bees it takes to pollinate? A lot!


Last year on the farm there were hundreds of bees buzzing around our lemon trees and in the garden.  This year I have noticed a decrease in the amount of bees. We do not own or rent hives yet so I have to stop and wonder why are there so few bees? Where did they go? Are they dead? I can only hope they will return.

No one seems to know exactly why. There seems to be many possible answers. 


Mites killing bees:

Nature keeps on doing her job. Everything is designed to survive most of the time.   
In recent news there are reports of a declining bee population for the last 15 - 20 years according to a study.(3)  

Out of Purdue University two studies presents a possible reason for the declining population of the honey bee.(1) (3) The Varroa mites are small and mighty threat to our honey bees and our food supply. The bees that survive longer are bees that have better grooming habits. 

The Varroa are now show a strong resistance to many of the miticides leaving a limited number of alternatives. Searching for an environmentally sound solution like non-chemical control may help in reducing the resistance. The identification Varroa sensitive hygiene behavior is one of two behaviors identified that are most important for controlling the growth of Varroa populations in bee hives. The bees apparently need a way to smell to learn how to identify mites within brood cells helping them to maintain health.  Something it is thought they do not possess now. 

Sometimes proteins are used as non chemical ways to control insect populations. It may not be such a great choice.  According to  ACCN net bio book (5)  protein used as a toxins, protease enzymes, that target and break down proteins necessary for nerve function. If the protein affects the insect why not humans? Long term testing would be one way to be sure of the affects.  

Pesticides killing bees: 

Pesticides are used around the world and the more we have learned the more effective the pesticides have become. One more possible reason for the decline in the bee population is the use of Nicotinic. In 2005 the USDA one of the  recommendations for resistant mites was Nicotinic one of which is Neonicotinoids(2).  The EPA (4)  states in 1984 Neonicotinoids had to be registered. Data supports the idea that a residue can accumulate in pollen and nectar over time which could expose pollinators like bees. In March of 2009 registration for review opened. 

sub-lethal effects on bees:

The Pesticide Action Network UK (6,7) that the Neomics are systemic pesticides which are absorbed by the plant’s tissues and can be used as a coating on seeds to protect the plants all season long.  

The report also quoted Christian Krupke and colleagues, Purdue University & Connecticut Agricultural saying “The amount of clothianidin on a single maize seed treated at the dose of 0.5mg per kernel contains enough active ingredient to kill over 80,000 honey bees” 

Neonicotinoid toxins can be detected up to two years after the original application increasing the risk to the honey bee’s exposure. Several weeks of low level exposure to these toxins effect each bee creating a “super-organism”  affect effecting the entire colony preventing the different  bee castes to adequately perform their tasks for the survival of the colony. One possible for a bee hive to have colony collapse. 

In European countries partial bans of some neonicotinoid  for some crops are in effect in many  countries  including France, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia.

Final thoughts:

Finding the true effects of what is happening to our honey bees is more then saving honey without them to pollinate some of our crops it would be difficult if not impossible to grow and produce crops like beans, cucumber, squash, pumpkins or any that need pollination. 

The United States is currently working on the 
needs of the honey bees (11) by elimination of  Colony Collapse Disorder. I hope the United States follows the  lead of some European nations to actively protect the honey bees and ban the use of bee unfriendly substances like Neonicotinoid toxins.

 There is much that can be done by both people and government. The United States Government is aware of the problem and is currently working on it. I hope it is fast enough to save our hardest workers, the bees. 

Help with your world and step on to the Path of True Health and vote with your dollars to create a world you will love to live in. 

By Design ~ “Life is good By Design”






Photo by Cynthia G. Creel all rights reserved ©2013



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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of By Design or Cynthia G. Creel. Consultation of a medical professional is highly recommended before any changes are considered. This article is not saying anyone person in a leadership position is unhealthy or healthy, it is just a possibly of many and is only speaking in general terms. .Note: No company mentioned in this article is considered to serve “healthy or unhealthy” food, any examples given  was  only used as an example of how business works though their history and public information. The focus is only to help explain a idea.


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Sources:


(1) http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0048276


(2) http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/pest/pdfs/irac_landscape.pdf



(3) http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0047269

(4) http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review/highlights.htm#nn

(5) http://acccn.net/Bio/book/Bio50/LecNotes/lecnot12b.html

(6) http://bees.pan-uk.org/neonicotinoids

(7) http://bees.pan-uk.org/assets/downloads/Bee_leaflet.pdf

(8)  http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/chemicals/pesticides/insecticides-bees/

(9) http://www.wordnik.com/words/neurexin

(10) http://www.springerreference.com/docs/html/chapterdbid/118321.html

(11) http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/110523.htm