June 2, 2010 1:21 PM

Myths Abound About U.S. Bee Disappearance

(AP)  The answer to what happened to America's vanishing honeybees is simple, a caller told entomologist May Berenbaum: Bee rapture. They were called away to heaven.

No, wait, it is Earth's magnetic field, another caller told the University of Illinois professor.

And when Berenbaum went on the Internet, she found a parody news site that quoted her as blaming rapper Kevin Federline, Britney Spears' ex-husband, and his concerts for the disappearance of the bees. Berenbaum loved it.

The sudden disappearance of one-quarter of America's honeybees has brought out some strange ideas and downright myths.

"I just can't get any work done," Berenbaum said. "I'm overwhelmed by e-mails. I can't keep up."

A couple of bee myths are big on the Internet.

A small German scientific study looking at a specific type of cordless phones and the homing systems of bees exploded over the Internet and late night television shows. It morphed into erroneous reports blaming cell phones for the honeybee die-off, which scientists are calling Colony Collapse Disorder.

The scientist who wrote the paper, Stefan Kimmel, e-mailed The Associated Press to say that there is "no link between our tiny little study and the CCD-phenomenon ... anything else said or written is a lie." And U.S. Department of Agriculture top bee researcher Jeff Pettis laughs at the idea, because whenever he goes out to investigate dead bees, he cannot get a signal on his cell phone because the hives are in such remote areas.

Also on the Internet is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein on how humans would die off in four years if not for honeybees. It is wrong on two counts.

First, Einstein probably never said it, according to Alice Calaprice, author of "The Quotable Einstein" and five other books on the physicist.

"I've never come across it in anything Einstein has written," Calaprice said. "It could be that someone had made it up and put Einstein's name on it."

Second, it is incorrect scientifically, Pettis said. There would be food left for humans because some food is wind-pollinated.

For his part, Pettis jokes that the bees are out creating crop circles "and it's working them to death."

© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 33 Comments
by itwasntme000 May 4, 2007 11:13 AM EDT
all plants contain natural pesticides, and often herbicides, and they are quite potent. Yes, and that includes organic foods. That's how plants defend themselves.
Posted by brucesmall at 05:55 PM : May 03, 2007

Any natural pesticides, ect evloved over time along with the bee's evolution. Thus, only the bees that werent effected survived. Or are you a religious man that dosent believe evolution ever happend.......haha figures
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by honest_news May 4, 2007 3:07 AM EDT
Why can't this kind of thing happen to wasps, hornets and yellow-jackets, or to all types of biting flies, for that matter???
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by processor2 May 4, 2007 1:43 AM EDT
I read a great article in National Geographic stating that a similar bee die-off occurred during the 1880's, in which over 90 percent died.

Just nature's way of thinning the herd that is not genetically diverse enough.

According to National Geographic, anyway.

...

Maybe the dingoes ate your beebees.
Posted by hawksprings at 11:21 AM : May 03, 2007

HAWKSPRINGS.......now that's funny sh.t

...
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by entity2006 May 3, 2007 9:32 PM EDT
I just watched an old movie today (X-Files). After seeing that, I know what happened to the bees. They are being stored for use of spreading an alien virus.
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by brucesmall May 3, 2007 8:55 PM EDT
I have to wonder if those who blame genetically modified plants realize that all plants contain natural pesticides, and often herbicides, and they are quite potent. Yes, and that includes organic foods. That's how plants defend themselves.
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by roger_inkart May 3, 2007 8:55 PM EDT
Brngs to mind a bumper stick I recently saw:

"Nature Bats Last"

If the bees don't pollenate - we don't get food. We don't get food - we die.

We've been beating the H3LL out of the planet for centuries now. It's little wonder she's trying new and inventive ways to protect herself.
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by mountainzen May 3, 2007 7:59 PM EDT
President Bush heard of "Spelling Bees," panicked, and had them labeled as enemy combatant-bees. You'll find them in Cuba.
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by gc331 May 3, 2007 7:57 PM EDT
"Bzz..Bzzz" --

in english:

"Good bye, and thanks for all the pollen."

;-)
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by itwasntme000 May 3, 2007 7:36 PM EDT
Someone should do a lord of the rings theme scenario. With gimbee/arabee/ damm been to long since i watched it i can only remember giblee and aragon's names haha
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by mitywhity May 3, 2007 7:18 PM EDT
It's Bill Clinton's fault.
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