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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Beeline to Extinction
  • Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 11:31:01 -0600



Beeline to Extinction
Published on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 by Civil Eats
http://civileats.com/2010/05/26/beeline-to-extinction/
by Naomi Starkman

According to the recently released annual survey by the Apiary Inspectors of
America (AIA) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), more than a third
of U.S. managed honeybee colonies-those set up for intensified pollination of
commercial crops-failed to survive this past winter. Since 2006, the decline
of the U.S.'s estimated 2.4 million beehives-commonly referred to as colony
collapse disorder (CCD)-has led to the disappearance of hundreds of thousands
of colonies: Hives are found empty with honey, larvae, and the queen intact,
but with no bees and no trail left behind. The cause remains unknown, but
appears to be a combination of factors impacting bee health and increasing
their susceptibility to disease. Heavy losses associated with CCD have been
found mainly with larger migratory commercial beekeepers, some of whom have
lost 50-90 percent of their colonies.

A "keystone" species-one that has a disproportionate effect on the
environment relative to its biomass-bees are our key to global food security
and a critical part of the food chain. Flowering plants that produce our food
depend on insects for pollination. There are other pollinators-butterflies,
moths, beetles, flies, and birds-but the honeybee is the most effective,
pollinating over 100 commercial crops nationwide, including most fruit,
vegetables, and nuts, as well as alfalfa for cattle feed and cotton, with a
value estimated between $15-$20 billion annually. As much as one of every
three bites of food we eat comes from food pollinated by insects. Without
honeybees, our diet would be mostly meatless, consisting of rice and cereals,
and we would have no cotton for textiles. The entire ecosystem and the global
food economy potentially rests on their wings.

Experts now believe bees are heading for extinction and are racing to
pinpoint the culprit, increasingly blaming pesticide usage. U.S. researchers
have reported finding 121 different pesticides in samples of bees, wax, and
pollen. New parasites, pathogens, fungi, and poor nutrition stemming from
intensive farming methods are also part of the equation. Three years ago,
U.S. scientists unraveled the genetic code of the honeybee and uncovered the
DNA of a virus transmitted by the Varroa mite-Israeli acute paralysis virus
(IAPV)-found in almost all of the hives impacted by CCD. Researchers have
also found the fungus Nosema ceranae and other pathogens such as chalkbrood
in some affected hives throughout the country. Other reported theories
include the effects of shifting spring blooms and earlier nectar flow
associated with broader global climate and temperature changes, the effects
of feed supplements from genetically modified crops, such as high-fructose
corn syrup (HFCS), and the effects of cell phone transmissions and radiation
from power lines that may be interfering with a bee's navigational
capabilities. (Last year, a study revealed that a contaminant from
heat-exposed HFCS might be killing off the bees.) However, according to a
recent congressional report on CCD, contributions of these possible factors
have not been substantiated.

The industrial bee business and the demands of intensified food production
could also be playing a role in the bees' demise. Widespread migratory stress
brought about by increased needs for pollination could be weakening the bees'
immune systems. Most pollination services are provided by commercial
migratory beekeepers who travel from state to state and provide pollination
services to crop producers. These operations are able to supply a large
number of bee colonies during the critical phase of a crop's bloom cycle,
when bees pollinate as they collect nectar. A hive might make five
cross-country truck trips each year, chasing crops, and some beekeepers can
lose up to 10 percent of their queens during one cross country trip. Bees are
overworked and stressed out.

California's almond crop is a prime example of our reliance on bees'
industriousness for our agriculture success. The state grows 80 percent of
the world's almonds, making it our largest agricultural export and bringing
in a whopping $1.9 billion last year. The crop-with nearly 740,000 acres of
almond trees planted-uses 1.3 million colonies of bees, approximately one
half of all bees in the U.S., and is projected to grow to 1.5 million
colonies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now predicting that Central
Valley almond growers will produce about 1.53 billion pounds of almonds this
year, up 8.5 percent last year. To meet the demand, bee colonies are trucked
farther and more often than ever before and demand for bees has dramatically
outstripped supply. Bee colonies, which a decade ago rented for $60, cost as
much as $170 this February in California.

Few organic beekeepers have reported bee losses, suggesting that natural and
organic bee keeping methods may be the solution. In addition, organic farmers
who maintain wildlife habitat around their farms are helping to encourage
bees to pollinate their crops. "The main difference between our farm and our
conventional neighbors is the amount of wildlife and insect habitat that we
have around the edge of our farm," said Greg Massa, who manages Massa
Organics, a fourth generation 90-acre certified organic rice farm near Chico.
Massa started growing organic almonds six years ago, and works with a small,
organic beekeeper in Oregon who brings in 30 hives to his farm. Massa's farm
has a large wildlife corridor which has been revegetated with native plants
and covered in mustard, wild radish, and vetch, a favorite of bees and also a
good nitrogen source for his rice crop.

Time might be running out for the bees, but there are simple actions we can
take to make a difference. First, support organic farmers who don't use
pesticides and whose growing methods work in harmony with the natural life of
bees. In particular, buy organic almonds. Don't use pesticides in your home
garden, especially at mid-day when bees most likely forage for nectar. You
can also plant good nectar sources such as red clover, foxglove, bee balm,
and other native plants to encourage bees to pollinate your garden. Provide
clean water; even a simple bowl of water is beneficial. Buy local honey; it
keeps small, diversified beekeepers in business, and beekeepers keep
honeybees thriving. In addition, you can start keeping bees yourself.
Backyard and urban beekeeping can actively help bring back our bees. Finally,
you can work to preserve more open cropland and rangeland. Let's use our
political voices to support smart land use, the impact of which will not only
result in cleaner water, soil, and air, but also just might help save the
humble honeybee.
© 2010 Civil Eats

Naomi Starkman is a food policy media consultant to Consumers Union and
others. She served as the Director of Communications & Policy at Slow Food
Nation ’08 and has been a media consultant to The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, GQ
and WIRED magazines. She was previously a senior publicist at Newsweek
magazine and was the Director of Communications for the American Foundation
for AIDS Research (amfAR). From 1997 to 2000, she served as Deputy Executive
Director of the S.F. Ethics Commission. She is the co-founder of Civil Eats
and Kitchen Table Talks, a local food forum in San Francisco, and a board
member of 18 Reasons, a nonprofit connecting community through food. Naomi
works with various clients on food policy and advocacy and is an aspiring
organic grower, having worked on several farms.





  • [Livingontheland] Beeline to Extinction, Tradingpost, 05/26/2010

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