"One-Third of U.S. Honeybee Colonies Died Last Winter, Threatening Food Supply"

[applegrove]

One-Third of U.S. Honeybee Colonies Died Last Winter, Threatening Food Supply

By Brandon Keim at Wired


http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/05/winter-honeybee-losses/

"SNIP........................

Nearly one in three commercial honeybee colonies in the United States died or disappeared last winter, an unsustainable decline that threatens the nation’s food supply.

Multiple factors — pesticides, fungicides, parasites, viruses and malnutrition — are believed to cause the losses, which were officially announced today by a consortium of academic researchers, beekeepers and Department of Agriculture scientists.

“We’re getting closer and closer to the point where we don’t have enough bees in this country to meet pollination demands,” said entomologist Dennis vanEngelstorp of the University of Maryland, who led the survey documenting the declines.

Beekeepers lost 31 percent of their colonies in late 2012 and early 2013, roughly double what’s considered acceptable attrition through natural causes. The losses are in keeping with rates documented since 2006, when beekeeper concerns prompted the first nationwide survey of honeybee health. Hopes raised by drop in rates of loss to 22 percent in 2011-2012 were wiped out by the new numbers.

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I wonder if the neocons see this, the ecology failure and a chance for private business to step in, as a win. After all ecology does stuff for free and what is the point of that!

[RobertEarl]

1. Lack of native bees, too

Carpenter bees are missing. Bumble bees, too.

Saw some yellow-jackets a month ago, none now.

For some reason bees are going extinct in this neck of the woods.