US beekeepers have been stung in recent months by the mysterious disappearance of millions of bees threatening honey supplies as well as crops which depend on the insects for pollination…
This winter, in more than 20 states, beekeepers have noticed that their honeybees have mysteriously vanished, leaving behind no clues as to their whereabouts. There are no telltale dead bodies either inside colonies or out in front of hives, where bees typically deposit corpses of dead nest mates.
What's more, the afflicted colonies tend to be full of honey, pollen and larvae, as if all of the workers in the nest precipitously decamped on some prearranged signal.
Beekeepers are up in arms last month, leaders in the business met with research scientists and government officials in Florida to figure out why the bees are disappearing and how to stop the losses. Nobody had any answers…
(The New York Times)
2007-08-18 21:17:05 · 10 answers · asked by jbaudlet 3 in Environment ➔ Other - Environment
I found a thorough article on the "disappearing bees" at http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mvanishingbees.htm
Don't let the name fool you. It's an entire page describing
what's happening and possible explanations.
Good luck.
2007-08-18 21:54:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Two reasons are generally accepted at this time to cause the die off. A predatory mite that kills the bee larva is spread by non infected bees visiting the same flowers infected bees visit.
The other reason is the use of new pesticides that are designed to be more potent, but breakdown quicker in the environment.
A honey bee forages in a 5 mile circle around it's hive, so it can pick up nectar and pollen laced with a weed or bug killer sprayed 5 miles away in your flower bed and bring it back to the hive and kill the other workers.
2007-08-19 03:04:30 · answer #2 · answered by Ranger 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Champions: B) 3 Classic Rock Challenge: None As of Yet Pop Music Quiz: Shake It Extraordinary: A) Leonardo DaVinci Famous Firsts: B) Yesterday Spiral Frog: A Band of Bees Villains of the Silver Screen: A) Robert Deguerin Hot Jobs Trivia: Caroline Potter
2016-05-17 06:21:50 · answer #3 · answered by luella 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about disapearance of bees, but the current theory why a large percent of the Honey bees are dieing, is a change in our use of Pesticide. We are beginning to use a more of a certain pesticide that seem to last longer and killing off our bees.
2007-08-18 21:40:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had read in article in past about killer bees moving through to America and the killer bees known to kill other bees like honey bee. They may be migrating to avoid those bees but no sure way to know just keep look out for more articles
2007-08-18 21:23:41 · answer #5 · answered by denster1991 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The disappearance of bees has been attributed to either mites that kill the bees, or a bee virus.
2007-08-19 01:14:09 · answer #6 · answered by Christmas Light Guy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You answered your own question. Nobody knows the answer, that is why it is mysterious, but I'm sure the liberal elite will blame it all on President Bush.
2007-08-19 08:30:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they went to my damn home !!! i got honeybees living outside of my house...yup a bee hive
2007-08-18 21:40:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It must be the UFOs.
But really I think its a fungus or something like that.
2007-08-18 21:29:26 · answer #9 · answered by bahbdorje 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no one knows.
that why it's a "mystery".
2007-08-19 04:29:51 · answer #10 · answered by afratta437 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋