Weather Said to Blame for Bee Die-Off (Maryland)

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2007/jun/13/061304474.html

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland beekeepers have lost 45 percent of their bees since last year - but the death toll is likely attributable to weather, not a national trend of mysterious die-offs, Maryland's top bee inspector said Wednesday.

An unusually warm November and December likely caused high fatalities in the state's 8,200 bee colonies, said Jerry Fischer, state apiary inspector. In a briefing to the state Agricultural Commission, Fischer said the warm early winter fooled bees into continuing reproduction - called "brood bearing." When temperatures dropped in January, Fischer said, the bees died.

"It's been a very unusual year, this last year," he said.

The honeybee briefing came amid national worries about widespread die-offs of the insects that are crucial to agriculture.

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[Gregorian]

1. That makes more sense than the pesticide theory.

If so, it's frightening. It could be a leading indicator of the extreme weather associated with global warming. Or not. But the longer we delay changing our way of living, the more trouble we could be getting ourselves into.

[depakid]

2. Except that regional condition don't explain the widespread phenomena

[LiberalEsto]

3. That's bee-poop

There have been warm spells and cold spells every year, and bees have survived just fine.

I'm leaning toward suspecting that pesticide Imidacloprid, which is suspected of killing off honeybees in France. Imidacloprid is sold in the US under the trade name Merit to kill Japanese beetles and their grubs.

One of the chemical-happy minions of the pesticide industry who writes a garden column in the Washington Post has been urging people in the DC area to use Merit for Japanese beetle control for several years.

[freethought]

4. It should be asked if the trend is continuing

Mr. Fischer could be on to something. However, it should be asked if the die-offs are continuing into the summer. Are the colonies recovering? If not, well there could be holes in Mr. Fisher's theories.

[blueworld]

5. I also find this hard to believe, at least outside of MD

The winter wasn't exceptionally warm in VA and over 25% of our bee population is gone. Where are the bee bodies? If they die of hypothermia, they should be in or near the hive, no? There are over two dozen states & several countries with seriously depleted bee colonies - what has their winter been like?