Infinite Unknown

Related information on honeybees:

- EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees, Leaked Document Shows (!)

- Billons Of Bee Colonies Die Worldwide

- Heavy Honeybee Die-Off Continues; New Study Shows Pollen And Hives Laden With Pesticides

- Study: ‘High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee’

- Organic Bees Surviving Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) (!)

Yes, organic bees survive CCD, which almost proves that a pesticide (or maybe GM plants) must be responsible for CCD.

Also living on refined white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup in winter certainly can kill any advanced life-form.

Disease and low genetic diversity might have caused US bumblebee decline over the past few decades, say scientists

Bumblebees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops around the world. Photograph: RSPB/PA

The abundance of four common species of bumblebee in the US has dropped by 96% in just the past few decades, according to the most comprehensive national census of the insects. Scientists said the alarming decline, which could have devastating implications for the pollination of both wild and farmed plants, was likely to be a result of disease and low genetic diversity in bee populations.

Bumblebees are important pollinators of wild plants and agricultural crops around the world including tomatoes and berries thanks to their large body size, long tongues, and high-frequency buzzing, which helps release pollen from flowers.

Bees in general pollinate some 90% of the world’s commercial plants, including most fruits, vegetables and nuts. Coffee, soya beans and cotton are all dependent on pollination by bees to increase yields. It is the start of a food chain that also sustains wild birds and animals.

Continue reading »

Tags: Bees, Bumblebee, Environment, Global News, Science

Related information:

- British eight-year-olds publish study in top science journal (AFP)

– Kids’ bee study published in science journal (CBC News)

– Children’s bee study makes it to Royal Society journal (BBC News)

A bumblebee collecting pollen of a cherry blossom. A group of British children aged between eight and 10 had their school project on bees published by the prestigious Royal Society in a world scientific first, the society said Wednesday.

A group of British children aged between eight and 10 had their school project on bees published by the prestigious Royal Society in a world scientific first, the society said Wednesday.

The pupils from Blackawton primary school in the southwestern English county of Devon investigated how bumblebees see colours and patterns using a series of experiments in a local churchyard.

The findings by the 25 children, drawn up with a scientist who lives in the area, have been published in Biology Letters, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Royal Society.

“The field of insect colour and pattern vision is generally poorly understood and the findings reported by the school children represent a genuine advance in the field,” the Royal Society said in a statement.

The headmaster of the school, Dave Strudwick, said his pupils “devised, conducted and wrote up an experiment which resulted in genuinely novel findings, so they deserve to be published.”

The children used patterns drawn with coloured pencil to see whether the insects would go for sugar water and avoid salt water.

“We discovered that bumblebees can use a combination of colour and spatial relationships in deciding which colour of flower to forage from. We also discovered that science is cool and fun because you get to do stuff that no one has ever done before,” they concluded in the paper.

Biology Letters editor Brian Charlesworth said their paper was a “world first in high quality scientific publishing.”

The study can be read at http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/12/18/rsbl.2010.1056.abstract

December 22, 2010

Source: Physorg.com (Watch the 17min. video!)

Tags: Bees, Biology Letters, Bumblebee, Children, Education, Global News, Good News, Royal Society, Science, Scientists

And those government traitors also approved a pesticide that is used to induce cancer in lab animals:

- California Approves One Of The World’s Most Dangerous Cancer Chemicals As Pesticide

And your government finishes off local and organic farming and you won’t be allowed to save your seeds:

- And Now: Democrats Pull Fast One With S. 510 Food Safety Bill

Recommended reading:

- Heavy Honeybee Die-Off Continues; New Study Shows Pollen And Hives Laden With Pesticides

- Study: ‘High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee’

- Organic Bees Surviving Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

Yes, organic bees survive CCD, which almost proves that a pesticide must be responsible for CCD.

The world honey bee population has plunged in recent years, worrying beekeepers and farmers who know how critical bee pollination is for many crops. A number of theories have popped up as to why the North American honey bee population has declined–electromagnetic radiation, malnutrition, and climate change have all been pinpointed. Now a leaked EPA document reveals that the agency allowed the widespread use of a bee-toxic pesticide, despite warnings from EPA scientists.

The document, which was leaked to a Colorado beekeeper, shows that the EPA has ignored warnings about the use of clothianidin, a pesticide produced by Bayer that mainly is used to pre-treat corn seeds. The pesticide scooped up $262 million in sales in 2009 by farmers, who also use the substance on canola, soy, sugar beets, sunflowers, and wheat, according to Grist.

The leaked document (PDF) was put out in response to Bayer’s request to approve use of the pesticide on cotton and mustard. The document invalidates a prior Bayer study that justified the registration of clothianidin on the basis of its safety to honeybees:

Clothianidin’s major risk concern is to nontarget insects (that is, honey bees). Clothianidin is a neonicotinoid insecticide that is both persistent and systemic. Acute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis. Although EFED does not conduct RQ based risk assessments on non-target insects, information from standard tests and field studies, as well as incident reports involving other neonicotinoids insecticides (e.g., imidacloprid) suggest the potential for long-term toxic risk to honey bees and other beneficial insects.

The entire 101-page memo is damning (and worth a read). But the opinion of EPA scientists apparently isn’t enough for the agency, which is allowing clothianidin to keep its registration.

Continue reading »

Tags: Bayer, Beekeepers, Bees, Clothianidin, Environment, EPA, Global News, Government, Pesticides, Politics, Science, U.S.

Recommended reading:

- Heavy Honeybee Die-Off Continues; New Study Shows Pollen And Hives Laden With Pesticides

- Study: ‘High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee’

- Organic Bees Surviving Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

Catastrophic collapse: More than three million colonies in America and billions of bees worldwide have died since 2006

The world faces a future with little meat and no cotton because of a catastrophic collapse in bee colonies, experts have warned.

Many vital crops are dependent on pollination by honeybees, but latest figures show a third failed to survive the winter in the U.S.

More than three million colonies in America and billions of bees worldwide have died since 2006.

Pesticides are believed to be a key cause of a crisis known as Colony Collapse  Disorder (CDD), damaging bee health and making them more susceptible to disease.

But scientists do not know for certain and are at a loss how to prevent the disaster. Other potential factors include bloodsucking parasites and infections.

Some experts believe bees are heading for extinction.

The number of managed honeybee colonies in the U.S. fell by 34 per cent last  winter, according to a survey by the country’s Agricultural Research Service,  and some commercial beekeepers have reported losses of more than 60 per cent over a year. Continue reading »

Tags: Agriculture, Beekeepers, Bees, CCD, Environment, Food, Global News, U.S.

Recommended reading:

- Heavy Honeybee Die-Off Continues; New Study Shows Pollen And Hives Laden With Pesticides

- Study: ‘High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee’

- Organic Bees Surviving Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

Fears for crops as shock figures from America show scale of bee catastrophe

Disturbing evidence that honeybees are in terminal decline has emerged from the United States where, for the fourth year in a row, more than a third of colonies have failed to survive the winter.

The decline of the country’s estimated 2.4 million beehives began in 2006, when a phenomenon dubbed colony collapse disorder (CCD) led to the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of colonies. Since then more than three million colonies in the US and billions of honeybees worldwide have died and scientists are no nearer to knowing what is causing the catastrophic fall in numbers.

The number of managed honeybee colonies in the US fell by 33.8% last winter, according to the annual survey by the Apiary Inspectors of America and the US government’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

The collapse in the global honeybee population is a major threat to crops. It is estimated that a third of everything we eat depends upon honeybee pollination, which means that bees contribute some £26bn to the global economy. Continue reading »

Tags: Agriculture, Beekeepers, Bees, CCD, Environment, Food, Global News, U.S.

What kills the bees will kill you too. Pesticides and all the other toxic chemicals that poison the food supply have been proven to cause Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s and cancer in animals.

This is one of many reasons why I eat organic food.

Flashback: Organic Bees Surviving Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

New Study Shows Honeybees’ Pollen And Hives Laden With Pesticides.

In this photo taken Monday, March 22, 2010, Workers, from left, Johan Du Preez, Susan Dupreez and Rouxle Crafford clear honey from dead bee hives at a bee farm east of Merced, Calif. The mysterious 4-year-old crisis of disappearing honeybees is deepening. A quick federal survey indicates a heavy bee die-off this winter, while a new study shows honeybees’ pollen and hives laden with pesticides. Two federal agencies along with regulators in California and Canada are scrambling to figure out what is behind this relatively recent threat, ordering new research on pesticides already in use.
(AP)

MERCED, Calif. – The mysterious 4-year-old crisis of disappearing honeybees is deepening. A quick federal survey indicates a heavy bee die-off this winter, while a new study shows honeybees’ pollen and hives laden with pesticides.

Two federal agencies along with regulators in California and Canada are scrambling to figure out what is behind this relatively recent threat, ordering new research on pesticides used in fields and orchards. Federal courts are even weighing in this month, ruling that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overlooked a requirement when allowing a pesticide on the market.

And on Thursday, chemists at a scientific conference in San Francisco will tackle the issue of chemicals and dwindling bees in response to the new study.

Scientists are concerned because of the vital role bees play in our food supply. About one-third of the human diet is from plants that require pollination from honeybees, which means everything from apples to zucchini. Continue reading »

Tags: Bee pollen, Bees, CCD, Chemicals, colony collapse disorder, Contamination, Environment, Food, Pesticides, Science, toxic, toxicity

Bee collecting pollen

(NaturalNews) There are many superfoods that boost immune function, but few do it with as much potency as bee pollen. Through its unique combination of minerals, vitamins, amino acids and enzymes, bee pollen offers one of the most revitalizing natural superfoods in the world (especially when collected from local bees who are in tune with your local environment).

We’ve put together a collection of research for you here, describing the health benefits of bee pollen. NaturalNews reminds everyone to be mindful when consuming bee products due to the very high stresses already placed on honeybees in North America and Europe. Make sure your source practices organic bee farming and does not expose honeybees to high-fructose corn syrup or other chemicals that may be harmful to bee populations.

Bee pollen and your immune system

Bee pollen has been used throughout history as a superfood to restore energy and recuperative powers to the ailing individual. Bee pollen improves allergies in many individuals, and hence may have a regulating effect on the immune system by helping to dampen unnecessary autoimmune attacks which saves immune warriors for the real cancer battle. There is no toxicity to bee pollen. Other bee products with extraordinary healing properties include royal bee jelly and propolis, which is the antibiotic compound used by bees to disinfect their hives before occupation.
- Beating Cancer with Nutrition, book with CD by Patrick Quillin, PhD,RD,CNS

While the effects are not so dramatic for everyone with arthritis, bee pollen is used by natural healthcare practitioners around the world to help alleviate arthritis symptoms. Energy Boost: Bee pollen is a popular supplement among many athletes, who report that it helps them train hard and recover quickly. Many athletes report that it helps increase stamina. Immune Support: Bee pollen is reported to help strengthen the immune system. People susceptible to reoccurring colds and respiratory tract infections may be helped.
- The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies: Proven Medical Remedies That Medical Doctors Don’t Know About by Mark Stengler, N.D.

Bee pollen has more amino acids and vitamins than other amino-acid-containing products like beef, eggs, or cheese. Bee pollen is one of the few vegetable sources of vitamin B12 (Scheer 1992). A tablespoonful of bee pollen contains about 45 calories and is 15% lecithin (which is required for normal fat metabolism) by weight (Kamen 1991).
- PDR for Herbal Medicines, 4th Edition by Thomson Healthcare, Inc.

Continue reading »

Tags: Amino Acids, Bee pollen, Bees, Cancer, Enzymes, Food, Good News, Health, Immune System, Minerals, Propolis, Vitamin B, vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamins

There are multiple reasons for the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Here is another one from Germany:

Honey Bees starve to death in the middle of summer.

“The bees in Germany suffer of food deprivation in the middle of summer and would die of hunger, if they would not be kept alive with sugared water. Food scarcity in nature is dramatic,” …

German article:

Honigbienen verhungern mitten im Sommer

“Die Honigbienen in Deutschland leiden mitten im Sommer an Futtermangel und würden verhungern, wenn sie nicht vom Imker mit Zuckerwasser am Leben erhalten würden.  „Der Futtermangel in der Natur ist dramatisch“  erklärt Imkermeister Günter Friedmann, Sprecher der biodynamischen Demeter Imker und Träger des Förderpreises ökologischer Landbau. Beobachtungen an seinen eigenen Bienenvölkern und beunruhigende Meldungen von Imkerkollegen aus ganz Deutschland, veranlassen ihn, jetzt einen Alarmruf zu starten..„ Wenn nicht rasch ein Umdenken  und ein neues Handeln in der Landwirtschaft erfolgt, werden wir stumme Sommer erleben – und sehen, dass die Bienen für die Bestäubung und damit auch für die Ernten unersetzlich sind“.

“Friedmann ist seit 30 Jahren Berufsimker, aber „ mit einer solchen Situation wurde ich noch nie konfrontiert“ betont er,“ obwohl sich diese Entwicklung eigentlich seit mehreren Jahren anbahnt und auch zu den Bienenverlusten der letzten Jahre beigetragen hat“ Nach der Rapsblüte, Mitte bis Ende Mai, beginnt für die Bienen in vielen Regionen Deutschlands eine Zeit des Mangels und oft auch des Hungerns. Gerade in den Jahren, in denen es aus dem Wald keinen Honig zu gewinnen gibt, wird deutlich, dass auf den Feldern und Wiesen mittlerweile zu wenig blüht, um den Insekten ausreichend Nahrung zu bieten.”

Full article: Naturkost

A new study shows that heat can produce a potentially toxic substance in high-fructose corn syrup that can kill honeybees and may also threaten human health.

Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey bees. Their study, which appears in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, could also help keep the substance out of soft drinks and dozens of other human foods that contain HFCS. The substance, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), forms mainly from heating fructose.

In the new study, Blaise LeBlanc and Gillian Eggleston and colleagues note HFCS’s ubiquitous usage as a sweetener in beverages and processed foods. Some commercial beekeepers also feed it to bees to increase reproduction and honey production. When exposed to warm temperatures, HFCS can form HMF and kill honeybees. Some researchers believe that HMF may be a factor in Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious disease that has killed at least one-third of the honeybee population in the United States.

The scientists measured levels of HMF in HFCS products from different manufacturers over a period of 35 days at different temperatures. As temperatures rose, levels of HMF increased steadily. Levels jumped dramatically at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. “The data are important for commercial beekeepers, for manufacturers of HFCS, and for purposes of food storage. Because HFCS is incorporated as a sweetener in many processed foods, the data from this study are important for human health as well,” the report states. It adds that studies have linked HMF to DNA damage in humans. In addition, HMF breaks down in the body to other substances potentially more harmful than HMF.

Continue reading »

Tags: Bees, CCD, colony collapse disorder, DNA, Environment, Food, Health, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Science, Scientists, toxic, toxicity

Honey is the latest Chinese food import to raise safety worries in the United States, reports the San Francisco Gate. According to the report, the United States has imported the majority of its honey from China for years, despite concerns that it might be contaminated with a dangerous antibiotic.

Continue reading »

Tags: Antibiotics, beekeeper, Bees, Health

High temperatures this season were 3rd lowest on record

Summer is officially over in Alaska, and if you got out in the sun to enjoy both days of it you were lucky.

Those were the two July days the temperature at the offices of the National Weather Service in Anchorage hit 70 degrees or better.

Continue reading »

Tags: Alaska, Bees, Climate Change, Earth Changes, Global Warming, Salmon, U.S.