What's Wrong With The Bees?

Steve Kroft Reports On The Mysterious Disappearance Of Bees

(CBS)  "Under normal circumstances in the dead beehive, other bees would have been coming in, robbing honey out. And the honey wasn't even… there was no bees even bothering. I mean, just, it was like a ghost town," Hackenberg explains.

"Like something had happened to the hive and…the other bees knew it?" Kroft asks.

"That's right," Hackenberg agrees.

Since Hackenberg made his discovery, a third of the honeybees in the country have died off or disappeared; some beekeepers have lost up to 90 percent of their hives. The Department of Agriculture has set up a working group of scientists from six universities, the Department of Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency to try and isolate the cause. Jeff Pettis of the Department of Agriculture is leading the effort.

Asked what he thinks the problem is, Pettis tells Kroft, "I think the problem is complicated. I don't think it's going to come down to a single factor. We're not going to be able to pin all of these losses on either one factor, or even maybe one combination of factors."

Autopsies of bees remaining in the collapsed hives have confirmed what scientists have long suspected: that honeybees in general are not in good health and are afflicted with all sorts of ailments. Their systems have been weakened by mites and other parasites, by poor nutrition, and exposure to pesticides. And scientists at Columbia University have detected the presence of a virus that seems to be prevalent in the collapsed hives.

"This virus is associated with colonies that are in poor health. But we don't have any cause and effect yet. What we have is that it seems to be a marker, an indicator that colonies are in trouble," Pettis explains.

"So you don't know whether the virus is causing the problem or is a symptom of the problem," Kroft remarks.

"Exactly," Pettis agrees. "It could be the straw that broke the camel's back. It could also just be an indicator that these bees are under stress. And that’s allowing this virus to grow."

"We knew we've had viruses for years. But all of a sudden, something has made everything kind of go haywire," Hackenberg says.

"And you think it was?" Kroft asks.

"I think, basically, I think the insecticides are breakin' down the immune system," Hackenberg theorizes.

He says most beekeepers believe the culprit is a relatively new type of pesticide called "neonicotinoids," a synthetic chemical based on nicotine. They are now used almost everywhere, from cornfields to golf courses, and on anything from the front lawn to the family pet. They are thought to be much safer for humans and animals than other pesticides, yet still toxic enough to kill insects.

"Well, basically, the chemical, the manufacturers of this product say it breaks down their immune system, causes memory loss, causes nervous system disorders. It causes the insects to quit feeding," Hackenberg says.

Asked if he thinks that this is what has happened to the bees, Hackenberg tells Kroft, "That's exactly what we're seeing happen inside these honeybee colonies."

[baldwell]

Pesticides a factor? Probably. The aerosol spraying of the skies by silent planes for the last ten years a factor? Probably. Genetically modified plants courtesy of Monsanto and others, which have already proven to kill the Monarch butterfly a factor? Probably. Bee colony collapse as serious a problem as Einstein claimed when he said mankind wouldn''t survive without the honeybee pollination? Quite possibly. The chances that *** Cheney may survive with his plastic heart in an underground bunker when grocery shelves look like they did in Russia in the 1950''s? Probable. The greedy and foolish shall inherit the hellish mess they''ve left of the earth after they''ve taken their spoils. God help the nasty sonsabitches. The rest of us will be gratefully, peacefully, resting. Selah.

[bamagirl2008]

I don''t know what is happening to the bees but I wish someone could explain the following to me: About 3 years ago, I noticed a large number of bees buzzing around my front porch. It was probably early summer in Bama so not that unusual to see a bee or two. But I had never had a problem before. I shoo-ed those bees away but within a week or so, I had thousands of bees hanging in large clumps off of the eaves of the roof, off of ceiling and off the edges of my front porch! It appeared they were nesting inside a tall hollow column. Hated to kill them all, but they were blocking the front door. I called 4 or 5 exterminators before finding one willing to tackle that task - and it was hysterical. The exterminator got in his truck with a window cracked and his nozzle of "bug spray" poking through the window. (He wasn''t about to stand outside in the open and spray all those bees.) He then tried to drive around and around my parking pad spraying from different angles to reach them all. They dropped dead in mounds and, after a while, I went outside and swept them up. It was all very "Amityville Horror" - remember all the flies against the windows? That''s how I felt looking through my leaded glass door watching the bees take over my porch. Since that time, I''ve never had a problem with bees. Anyone have any thoughts on what prompted the bees to take over my front porch?

[ggray12-2009]

I have heard that the issue of CCD is non existent on ORGANIC farms. Perhaps 60 Minutes could pursue this. This finding would support the pesticide theory.

[alexandergp]

Maybe the bees are smarter than we are. Perhaps they are tired of being hauled across country and when dropped off they find a better haven nearby. Amazing there is a shortage but the beekeeper could go and purchase other ones. Perhaps children are hiding them so that they won''t pollinate veggies and kids won''t hear, "eat your vegetables." Maybe it is just another "let''s scare the *** out of everyone story."

[rf35]

" What is needed is for people to stop education and get back to what God created us for..."

Singinrick, did you change your name to KellyAFische? No, guess not, I can tell by the tone.
This post must be a sarcastic joke. Nobody could actually be this stupid.

[dongbeating]

Bees didn''t start dying until we started spraying for the gypsy moths. I think the goverment knows all about this. They only spray late at night.

[cwilley5]

if the bees are leaving their honey behind and the bees from other colonies do not take the honey left behind, what is wrong with the honey? should humans be consuming honey, should we be concerned about the health issues of eating raw honey? i consume alot of raw unpasteurized honey because it''s my understanding that it is beneficial to my health. orange blossom and tupelei honey are popular here in florida, so what''s the risk?

[crazybob9]

This is the second story in as many weeks involving Bayer. Remember that this same company performed ''medical'' experimentation on Jews during Germany''s Nazi era. I think the same horrible moral ethic is at work in today''s Bayer, and in many other multinational corporations.

[kofiananimus]

Posted by koko98: "There is nothing wrong with the bees. I was out in my yard last weekend and the plants were literally crawling with bees."
------------------------------------------------------
Was this posted by Bill O''Reilly??? Sounds like something he''d say... "Clearly New Jersey has a larger population than California, ''cause when I walk outside in Newark, NJ I see thousands of people, and when I walk outside in Eureka, CA I hardly see anyone"

[liebestode]

As I have written last year in the San Francisco Chronicle, March 10 and November 10, 2007, there is ample evidence to give genetically modified crops a closer look as one of the causes of CCD. My own research has shown that non-farmland bees thrive and produce more honey than their farmland peers. The honeybee issue obscures the more serious observation that ALL insect species are being affected. John McDonald

[kellyafische]

Education is responsible for genetic modification, engineering, chemical planting and ultimately death of whole species. At one time all chemicals were considered harmless until years later proved deadly. What is needed is for people to stop education and get back to what God created us for...(Genisis chapter 1 Holy Bible) make the earth a beautiful paradise. He created everything and afterward declared it good. Do you think imperfect humans can make better what God has already done? Just get back to the waterfall and move the rocks around, make more benches, plant more fruit trees! It is that simple, wonderful, beautiful and joy filled! Then all the bees and animals will be healthy and happy too!

[ivandrago]

Q: What does "partial" ban mean???

A: Used only on crops that would not attract bees, and don''t need to be pollinated by bees?

[shogl]

Hmmmm... If that beekeeper thinks it''s smart to stick his head in a hive full of bees, he might want to tackle that compulsion first and only THEN work on increasing his honey business.

[excoachken]

The only Bees who have "something wrong" with them are the S.O.B.s in the Bush Administration!

[pbdobb]

Evidence may point to genetically modified crops. Many of these are engineered with a death gene to prevent the seeds from being able to reproduce (to protect intellectual property). This may have an effect on pollen (bees use this as a protien source, and in the production of royal jelly). Without royal jelly no queens can be produced. A hive without a queen, or that has no reproduction will die.

[rebmalovell]

My question is if another country has already banned use of this pesticide why in the world are we using it here. If its not good for them why would it be good for us.

[kellyafische]

Whenever a family in Wisconsin has kids getting stung by bees, I ask them where their trash can is. They usually point to a black garbage bag of recycle aluminum pop cans as general area where the kids are getting stung. Also, when you walk out of the door of the college, the bees are hanging around. Why? They are sucking the pop out of the cans. Old cans. Cans with molded pop in them. THAT SHOULD BE A RESEARCH TIP.

[rf35]

I''ve never been big on organic foods, but here''s an idea. The beekeepers only allow organic farmers to hire their bees. If the bees remain healthy, then you know it''s something chemical causing the problem.

Rick, maybe God can just make us some more bees. Why don''t you ask next time you visit him?

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature...It is the opium of the people."

[godseyesore-2009]

pollengirl1 is promoting "controlled pollination". China already uses large numbers of people to do some of that on specialized fruits. That may ultimately be what he HAVE to do, but hopefully not. I personally want to spend my time on things other than pollinating plants.

[godseyesore-2009]

singinrick asked, Does Darwin offer death, or life?

Astounding that I have to actually spell things out, but answer is NEITHER. Darwin is simply stating the way nature works, period. Your value judgements show how ignorant you are of the world in which you exist. So, tell us all again, just what is your planet of origin?