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POPSDeadly beetles intercept bee's warnings
But does this research give any clues to the causes of the mysterious disappearance of entire bee colonies over this winter, which has affected up to 70 per cent of colonies in some regions of North America and is now also reported throughout Europe? Entomologists believe that the small hive beetle cannot be the main cause of the problem seen in North America and Europe, as the parasite doesn't occur in Europe at all. Possible causes that have been mooted for the mysterious colony collapse disorder (CCD) range from biological (mites) to the inadvertantly man-made (mobile phones, pesticides, GM crops), and even to allegations of poor practice among bee keepers or compensation fraud. Bernard Vaissiere, who studies the ecology of bees at the French research centre INRA in Avignon, told Chemistry World: 'I do not think that there is a link between the greater susceptibility of the European honeybee to the small hive beetle and colony collapse disorder. CDD seems related to lower immune
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POPSGene from the genetically engineered rapeseed was transferred in the bee's gut to the microbes. Global food security is a key strategic issue regarding genetic modification. This could become a major concern, either through the impact of promotion of GM in agriculture in the third world, which will bring about the demise of the livelihoods of billions of people in the developing world; OR because of some catastrophe affecting crops e.g. a virus through some GMO releases spreading horizontally across species, destroying food crops.
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POPSColony Collapse Disorder We in America take honeybees for granted. They are one of the few cherished insects we have that are not native, having been brought here by colonists in the 16th century. The rest of the interlopers — the gypsy moths, Asian longhorn beetles, cabbage white butterflies, and so on — it seems we could well do without. But not honeybees. We are absolutely dependent upon them for our country’s well-being.
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