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April 29 2007 10:26 PM Lewis Sellers
Well, we've been aware of this for two months or so now, but if you hadn't heard, many of the bees in the United States have vanished in the last few weeks and months. It's called "colony collapse".
No dead bees in the hives, just empty, barren hives. Silence.
My first thought upon learning about this was that a "Bee Rapture" was going on. (Somewhat seriously. Ok, just slightly seriously.)
Or maybe that they knew somehing we didn't and left while they could.
Best anyone can tell though (at the moment) is that a new nicotene-based pesticide that's being used in the States has essentially killed off their immune system, and now every bee disease known (and unknown) is ravaging their colonies. The infected wander off (delirious/insane) and just die. (There many other casual suggestions, but the fact that exhibited behavior with the bees is exactly what the pesticide is supposed to do with termites is a little hard to ignore.)
Cynthia has been keeping tabs with a few locals (and some at state level) and apparently this (at the moment at least) doesn't seem to be affecting Eastern Tennessee. At least appreciatively.†
But in other parts of the county … the bees are simply gone now.
Not good, considering the bees are responsible for polinating a 3rd of the food crops in the US. At best expect the price of honey and certain foods to begin skyrocketing moving into the summer, as the US has to start importing these foods from other counties.
† (Though we have noticed a few bees acting a bit unusual of late. Doing their little location dances for us in a drunken repetive manner. I can't but wonder as I stare at them dancing if the bee is saying to me: "I've been sent by the Queen. We desperately need antibiotics. We're at such and such location. Hurry!" … But maybe I'm just reading my own fears into it.)
TN Beekeepers Association
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