What's Killing The Honeybees?

For A Second Year, Bees Are Dying Off And America's Farmers Are Getting Stung

(CBS)  In California the almond orchards are in blossom and millions of honeybees are at work, pollinating, doing a job only they can do.

Almonds are the first big bloom of the season and the first big test of honeybee health, CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports.

"It's not a vibrant hive, it's not full of bees," said Brett Adee. "A hive this time of year should be just busting bees. And it's just a scrawny little bee hive."

Adee, whose family runs the largest beekeeping operation in the country, says bees are dying at least as fast as they did last year.

"It's off the chart this year. It's not a sustainable thing, what's happening now," he said.

What's happening in the almond orchards doesn't bode well for crops everywhere that require pollination.

U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher Jeff Pettis has been tracking the bee die off.

"Certainly if the bees are not in almonds they're not going to be available for apples and pears and vine crops: the fruits and vegetables we need," he said.

What is called "colony collapse disorder" hit bee keepers in more than half the country last spring. Now it has spread to all but a handful of states.

Hives can go from healthy and active to dead and gone. Theories on what's bugging the bees include mites and viruses and pesticides to poor nutrition. Maybe all of those together.

"That's been a frustrating part," Pettis said. "We know some things that are contributing, but we can't point to a single factor as a cause."

Two years ago Louise Rossberg had nearly a thousand hives. Now she has just 200 and is struggling to stay in business.

"What else am I going to do?" Rossberg asked. "I like doing bees, I've been here so long."

But Rossberg has lost so much income, her house is in foreclosure, and even the spring blossoms don't seem to bring much hope.

"I've lost my home, I've lost my vehicle, let's see, so I'm living with a friend right now," she said.

But beekeepers say this isn't just a crisis for them - it's a crisis for everyone.

"I mean bees are vital element to the production of food in this country and if we can't feed ourselves, then we got a problem," Adee said.

As an essential link in the food chain, the hardworking bee has suddenly become the weakest link.

[hubsboy]

I think Mel Brooks is responsible!!

[grammawhamma]

I laughed at some of your comments...my favorite was the dingoes ate your bee bees.

This really is not a laughing matter...bees are important. I did not see many honey bees last summer (there were plenty of hornets and wasps though). I do think it has something to do with sonic navigation and is related to the bat mystery.

European reseach has shown that it is cell phone signals that are disturbing the bees navigation and communication systems.

Research in Europe has shown that it is the radio signals used in cell phone nets that are misdirecting bees, so they can''t find their way back to the hive. Bees apparently use the same frequencies for their internal communication and navigation systems as those used for cell phones. I can''t remember where I found this, but someone please check it out before it is too late and there are no more bees at all.

[rf35]

What''s killing the bees? See the article on what''s in our water supply.

Actually, the bees are being killed off as part of a republican plot to force us to import the majority of our food from China. We saw how well that worked out with pet food.

Corporations are killing the bees with their chemicals, just like they are slowly killing people for large profits. Will it ever end? Organic food is slowly on the way back.

[scottyusa]

The trees in California are homosexual, so bees are no longer have a purpose.


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Posted by downsteamjim

Too funny! I almost fell off my chair. The bees are heading north. All this globa warming hysteria has them scared.

[brianbwb-2009]

What''s Killing The Honeybees?

Monsanto.

[jeeners]

From what I''m reading in the news, I bet Hillary has something to do with it!!

[nofearinlove]

I believe everything I am reading. Thank you CBS for the freedom of speech you give to all these posts. It takes determination and guts. Bravo to the best newscast!

[tygota]

When the farmer behinds us plants corn, the apple trees don''t do so well. When he plants soybeans, the apple trees do much better. Could be the pesticides used on corn. When he plants corn, I don''t see many bees, when he plant soybeans, I see more bees. Some of that new corn has pesticides built into it.

[downsteamjim]

The trees in California are homosexual, so bees are no longer have a purpose.

[thewillofgod]

I wonder where the bee''s are going to?

[watcher269-2009]

Oh NO - it''s Osama BEE laden killing our bees.

Or, maybe its the companies who genetically modify seeds. They have just developed a self pollinating seed - so they don''t need bees now. Hmmmm, just a coincidence?

[pupil26]

To bee or not to bee? That is the quest.
Maybee you should cut down on your eating in the US, so that everyone could have at least one bite a day.

[knight-mason]

I would suggest that scientist closely look at the fluctuations in our electromagnetics around the earth for it is not just the bees but also many other animals including the bat.

[fayelindasue]

Here in Maine there have been tons of honey bees. In the last two summers we have had large swarms of them getting into our house by way of every nook and cranny. I am deathly allergic to them so this is a problem. I really do not believe the honey bees are a bad off as we are hearing. Maybe they just moved to another climate!

[susanweigel1]

There is another side to the honeybee story. The beekeepers who actually "keep" bees--feeding them, wintering them, managing them appropriately, and knowing about this wild insect, are not having the problems outlined in the news story. I would guess that beekeepers having trouble keeping their bees are moving an insect that needs environmental stability to thrive. Our agricultural practices that do not allow bees to be left in fields and orchards because of spraying, cause some beekeepers to move their bees often. Every time they are moved a 25%+ loss can be expected. Often the moved hives are too far from the beekeeper to be checked and managed--bees do not do well under these conditions.
Are some beekeepers hoping that the government will step in like it did in the past and subsidize the industry? Are some beekeepers looking for a government subsidy so they can retire with big profits because they are tired of the hard work? I believe past government subsidies have caused millions of gallons of honey to be purchased by the government and stored while consumers used cheaper honey imported from foreign countries.
CBS should look into this story in more detail. Talk to beekeepers that are doing well with their bees! See what they have to say. Not all beekeepers tell the same story of loss--why?

[vancouverboo]

How come the hard-working, useful honey bees die and the worthless,crappy deadly African bees propagate like rabbits? Anyone see the movie, Idiocracy? There''s an interesting parallel there.

[beehive21-2009]

The Bees are leaving for better jobs in India,over worked and under appreciated.The USA is producing lots of food ,we may be feeding the whole population of the Earth. Time to stop the big producers are selling pretty produce with out any taste , so a red pepper tastes the same as a cucumber etc.Time to start producing your own gardens and the time is ripe .Lots of honey Bees around here you can plant lots of plants that attract Bees and they will pollinate your garden or you may need to do it by hand .The value for your body to get out in the yard in make a garden is great, for the mind ,body and soul,it''s spring time, get out the shovel or whatever else,start gardening you''ll be happy you did.