A cure for honey bee colony collapse?

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/w-acf041409.php

Public release date: 14-Apr-2009

Contact: Lucy Collister
[e-mail]
44-018-654-76241
Wiley-Blackwell

A cure for honey bee colony collapse?

Published online in Environmental Microbiology Reports

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). 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.

The loss of honey bees could have an enormous horticultural and economic impact worldwide. Honeybees are important pollinators of crops, fruit and wild flowers and are indispensable for a sustainable and profitable agriculture as well as for the maintenance of the non-agricultural ecosystem. Honeybees are attacked by numerous pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. For most of these diseases, the molecular pathogenesis is poorly understood, hampering the development of new ways to prevent and combat honeybee diseases. So, any progress made in identifying causes and subsequent treatments of honey bee colony collapse is invaluable. There have been other hypothesis for colony collapse in Europe and the USA, but never has this bug been identified as the primary cause in professional apiaries.

"Now that we know one strain of parasite that could be responsible, we can look for signs of infection and treat any infected colonies before the infection spreads" said Dr Higes, principle researcher.

This finding could help prevent the continual decline in honey bee population which has recently been seen in Europe and the USA.###

[dipsydoodle]

1. decline in honey bee population...

some of which is due to loss of natural habitat especially here in Europe : loss of hedgerows etc.

[truedelphi]

5. Last year there were oplenty ofbees around - this year

Dozens and dozens of square miles of vineyards put in - no where for the bees to collect their nectar, at least not with thede types of over-sprayed, non hedgerowed installations.

Deer, badger, cougar, coyote, fox, rabbit, reptiles etc all affected as well.

[NJCher]

2. a positive

Thanks for posting this--it means a lot because the sea of negativity we swim in daily pver the environmental decline is enough to send me over the edge.


Thank you again, OKIsItJustMe.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. You're welcome

There is some positive news out there.

I don't advocate a Pollyanna approach to the world, but I don't think nihilism is particularly helpful either.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Thank heaven!

I miss our little honeybees and hope they come back.

We have plenty of bumblebees, and a peculiar newcomer called a mason bee, which attacks other bees in our betony plants by head-butting them. It's hilarious to watch in late summer. The male mason bee does this because he is trying to reserve the betony (lamb's ears) blossoms exclusively for the use of his lady bees.

[Bigmack]

6. Wow, a story that should have BANNER headlines in ALL

the newspapers, news programs, etc. etc. Really a touch of hopeful news here Ms. Bigmack

[jberryhill]

7. The problem is....

It involves the application of science and technology to solve a problem, and succeeds.

There are no villains, and it doesn't vindicate anyone's pet theory.

[arikara]

8. It would be nice if it were as simple as that short press release implies...

but there are other scientist who are looking into different causes. I highly doubt this problem will be cured by a magic pill, more likely it will require a fundamental change to modern agriculture. Here is a story that I came across just yesterday.

...snip...

In 1974, the US Environmental Protection Agency licensed the nerve gas parathion trapped into nylon bubbles the size of pollen particles.

What makes this microencapsulated formulation more dangerous to bees than the technical material is the very technology of the "time release" microcapsule.

This acutely toxic insecticide, born of chemical warfare, would be on the surface of the flower for several days. The foraging bee, if alive after its visit to the beautiful white flowers of almonds, for example, laden with invisible spheres of asphyxiating gas, would be bringing back to its home pollen and nectar mixed with parathion.

...snip...

http://www.truthout.org/041209F

[DemReadingDU]

9. So assuming this parasite attacks the bees,

The colony of bees disappears after being infected. Where do all the bees go? Why do they fly off, and why aren't the bees found someplace else?