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Cherished readers a recent study points to systemic pesticides
as the largest contributing factor in Colony Collapse Disorder. For those of you who don't know. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is currently in
decline. The toll on the honey
producing, pollination, and beekeeping industry have been catastrophic.
What is the difference between a systemic pesticide and
other types of insect poisons? Systemic
pesticides are seeds that are filled with pesticide so that as the plant grows
it always has pesticides in it. This
kills most insects outright when they try to consume the plant. For bees the situation is more
mysterious. Because bees only eat the pollen
and the nectar of the plant it usually doesn’t kill them outright. Instead it messes them up so bad they can't
find their way back to the hive.
Within 24 hours thriving colonies go out to forage and never return often
leaving a befuddled queen and a few nurse bees behind to defend the hive. It is sure death.
With regular pesticides the farmer and the beekeeper
could work together. The farmer says
next week I am going to spray my crops and the beekeeper can make sure the bees
aren't there to get sprayed. But with systemics
there is never a good time for the bees to pollinate the crops.
What can you do? I
urge you to please write to your public officials and congressman. Reference this study:
Make companies like Bayer pull systemic pesticides from
the market. Another thing you can do is
try to buy local organic produce and especially local honey. The food is better! Also get in contact with your local
beekeeping association and ask what you can do to help.
If we lose the bees be prepared to lose a lot of other
things you enjoy like fruit, vegetables, spices, and things like almonds. A world without bees is a world where your
food is bland and tasteless and costs ten times as much as it does today. In fact I would posit that mankind needs the
bees more than the bees need mankind.
The honeybee is one of God's gifts to mankind don't throw it away.
Jon
Update: New Warré Hive Forum is open for business!
