permaculture

[Patrick McKown <identi1956@yahoo.com>]

I think the honey bee die off is important but not fatal for the food supply. 
Beetles actually do
more pollinating that any other insects and they are the largest insect type. 
Also there are
native bees that collect pollen rather than nectar and are many times more 
efficient at
pollinating our crops than honey bees. We keep honey bees which are old world 
alpine bees because
we love sweets and because they are good pets for those who love 6 legged 
creatures. 

Die offs happen. This is not the first time. Heres what I think so far might 
have happened. Formic
acid was recently legalized, last yr?, for use in the US. It was already 
being used in Canada. The
formic acid acts as a nerve toxin and if your unlucky in its use you can even 
by following the
instructions kill the hive. It is placed on a board that is inserted into the 
bottom of the hive
and left there for a prescribed period. What's on the label. This is done in 
the fall after the
honey flow has been collected. I believe it is only for a few days. Since the 
nervous system of a
bee is ventrally located rather than dorsally like us. When the bee crawls 
around on this frame it
will be rubbing against this formic acid formula. The toxin will probably 
dull its senses after a
time and it will not be as repelled by it. Invading ants use formic acid as a 
weapon naturally, so
the bees are not as sensitive to it as other insects because they have been 
raided for their honey
stores for millions of years. In the case of ants the offenders along with 
the spilt formic acid
are overwhelmed and physically cleared out of the hive. So formic acid 
exposure can be modified by
the bees themselves. But just maybe in this case being that formic acid is 
imbedded it cannot be
removed. The bees become over exposed to the toxin and since it effects their 
nervous system it
also effects the essential instinctual navigation abilities so they don't 
return. More bees leave
until none are left except for the queen and the immature stages.

So you would think they are out there hanging in the wind abandoned? Normally 
without workers this
regenerative cell would be lost to invaders as when as the honey and wax. But 
the hive is
repellent to invaders too. This repellent property points to the formic acid, 
because it is a
definite repellent too. It fits both events. The hives cannot be reused after 
this event occurs,
which is customary. This suggests a significant quantitative residual effect.

1.The suggested disorientation of workers in the field not returning  and 2. 
the repellent nature
of the hive box itself suggests that formic acid might be the problem or in 
someway instrumental. 
 

Most of the apiaries that have this problem are moving bees from state to 
state. Stationary
colonies are seeing less or no problems. This practice in itself cause great 
stress on the bees.
They are design to have stationary bases. Not mobile. 
Moving to new locations is exposing these hives to potential local challenges 
problems in the new
areas each time. It would be better to maintain hives in these locations 
where they are used
rather than moving them. Moving the bees to work again would expose them to 
more treatments if
used after each flow.

If these formic acid boards are used more than the prescribed time it maybe 
just to much exposure
and it maybe that the genetics of the bees now being used may be less 
tolerant of formic acid. Are
the formic boards in the hives in transit? If the new locations can be 
reached in a several days,
are the boards on board for the trip? If so this might be too much exposure.

Keep in mind also folks that honey bees are 'canaries in the mine'. That they 
are also
encountering in the field more and more 'invented' life, which offers new 
challenges to their
biological life cycle. Their behavior or fate could report the effects of 
these 'inventions'
coming out of commercial and academic laboratories. Only time will tell on 
these new environmental
challenges from these 'invented' naturalized species.

That is how I see so far. Obviously this proposed scenario could change as 
more of the story
unfolds.

Pat McKown






 
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