Is anyone worried about the honey bee die offs?

Question

Any theories as to why this is happening? Bees are dying in the US and UK. They could lead to the loss of certain crops.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_on_sc/honeybee_die_off;_ylt=AkROTIXc.qgmWs0ZFXe5YtKs0NUE

Answer 1

Very worried! Especially since some pesticides and compounds in fertilizers have been found to be causing them harm any way. Monsanto makes this kind of fertilizer additive and seems to be aware of the problem:
http://www.biotechknowledge.monsanto.com/BIOTECH/knowcenter.nsf/ID/C82E96087DC3C4B4862572BF0059680E?OpenDocument
They also make a new sweetner... lets hope they are not this stupid and greedy on purpose!

Some people think cell phone radiation is causing a problem:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2007/03/06/millions_of_bees_die_are_electromagnetic_signals_to_blame.htm

I have also heard of a mite, a bacterial parasite, and the bee version of aids as possible causes.

Some nuts think it was fortold in this dumb crop circle:
http://www.hufos.net/images/crop%20circle%203.jpg

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lm5YCRTcWac

Answer 2

Yes! Very worried.

While it is true that honey bees are not the only pollinators, they are a significant one. Many plants can only be fertilized with the help of bees.

But in the bigger picture, it is scary to think an insect is having such a hard time in the environment. It is a warning bell for sure.

Don't forget, we all live in the same ecosystem. Every thing has its role. And if it is removed from the system, it will have consequences that can not be predicted.

Answer 3

Yes...I'm very concerned.
And everyone who eats food should be concerned.

They carry much of the pollen to plants and trees which bear the fruit and vegetables we depend upon.
The link below states that the honeybee takes care of 1/4th of the pollination needs for the world.

And that is probably just what little we actually know about the honeybee.
Take them out of the equation and I suspect we humans will really see a drop in food production.

The latest theory is cellphone and other wireless devices.
That is possible, but I really do not know.
The bee mite is another suspicion, which sounds likely.

A recent report on a bee keeper in West Texas had a really strange occurrence of the whole hive just disappearing...see the second link for that report.

Answer 4

The article like most media stuff exaggerates. There are many different insects that pollinate our crops.