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Tue Mar 4 16:45:48 EST 2008
recommended reading from a leading bee/pollinator expert and a =
conservation biologist):
On bee deaths:
"What agricultural statistics do tell us is that the honeybee =
industry's ability to provide adequate pollination services has been =
declining for decades. And it is certain to decline even more in the =
coming years. The number of honeybee colonies in the United States =
peaked in 1947 at 5.9 million. The postwar rise in the use of =
organochlorine pesticides contributed to a 43% decline in U.S. =
honeybee colonies =AD=AD from 5.9 million to only 4.1 million in 1972 =
and only 2.6 million in 1995. Even with the switch to organophosphate =
pesticides and better management of colonies to avoid pesticide =
poisoning, the industry has never fully recovered. Although official =
statistics define "colonies" by a different criterion these days, 3.4 =
million colonies is the highest annual estimate that has been =
recorded since 1947."
Historically, tracheal mites were known in Great Britain in the =
1890s and legislation enacted in the US in 1923. When they were =
"discovered" 1984 due to an outbreak in Texas, subsequent =
investigation revealed they were already widespread around the =
country. The varroa mite's history is similar; "discovered" in 1987 =
in Wisconsin, only to find it widespread -- but now more virulent -- =
all around the country.
Roger A. Morse, Cornell apiculturist in "Complete Guide to =
Beekeeping" says that bees are losing vitality and that " until =
recently, mites hardly deserved notice" and the best defense is to =
take precautions against all other diseases which can weaken bees.
"Because nature is really a process of dog-eat-dog rather than =
peaceful
coexistence. To suggest that parasitic mites and bees have led a =
peaceful
evolutionary coexistence that man has somehow upset and turned them =
against
each other is lunacy. Too many Disney movies. Were the bees and mites
friendly neighbors in the 1800's?"
Dog-eat-dog is in the eye of the beholder, so is =
Disnification. These mites are symbiotic parasites of bees. It makes =
no evolutionary sense for parasites to obliterate their hosts or =
"win" -- the relative good health of the one depends on the relative =
good health of the other. The mites are generally kept in check by =
the bee's grooming and overall vitality. =
Where pesticides have proven effects on bees -- contact =
poisons can enter through their soft bodies and pores, through the =
nectar they ingest, the soil fumigants they breathe, the dusts and =
pollen they accumulate on their body hair -- "mites are notorious for =
the rapidity with which they can build up resistance to =
pesticides".(Morse) Further, herbicides are highly responsible for =
the decimation of natural, healthy habitat and food source.
"While all of this is very interesting, it really is very loose =
conjecture
and is not supported in research literature as an argument for the =
recent
decline in honeybee populations. On the other hand, we know that the
explosion of population of varroa mites and trachea mites has led to =
a crash
in the population of wild and commercial honeybees. Direct cause and =
effect.
It would be interesting to conduct research to support your =
contentions and
arrive at your conclusions. In the meantime, it's very important to =
address
the problem of mites in the honeybee population for the sake of all =
of us,
who depend on them for our food."
I agree that the mites problem must be addressed directly, =
although I maintain they are symptomatic of larger imbalances (that =
have to be addressed most of all) wrought by the hand of man that =
conventional science relegates to the background where it doesn't =
even appear in the reductionist cause/effect experiments. Also, it's =
not a great career move for scientists to take on their powerful =
industry. However, current DNA testing technology now makes it =
possible to qualify and quantify toxins in life forms and also =
determine their sources through genetic fingerprinting. There's =
already interesting work coming out on the biocidal effects of =
herbicides on specific species of soil microorganisms, for instance.
I think everyone on this list is looking to align our =
farming to work more positively in our own agroecological =
environments (ie. farms and market gardens) and I certainly =
appreciate your posts and contributions in this regard. However, the =
whole reason I entered into this discussion was to challenge your =
initial statement --
"There are two mites which have decimated the wild honeybee =
population; the
varroa mite and the trachea mite. Both are natural enemies of =
honeybees.
I've heard actual estimates of wild honeybee losses due to these two =
mites
as high as 95%. Crop spraying has had little to nothing to do with =
this
problem"
Loose conjecture, anyone?
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