5.8.2008 2:40PM
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Expert: Pesticide Poisoning Wouldn't Roll Through Colonies This Way
Posted By: Kim Flottum
5.3.2008 4:10PM
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The information provided here was generated by a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America. They took the survey in January and February this year, and in the process, gathered information from 18% of the colonies in the U.S.
The survey found that about 35% of all the colonies in the U.S. died last winter. Of those that died, 71% died of natural causes, 29% from symptoms that are suspect colony collapse disorder. Doing the math that comes to at least 10% of all the bees in the U.S. last year died of Colony Collapse Disorder. I believe that is a significant number of colonies.
Unfortunately, the survey had to be conducted early on to get numbers to congress and the surveyers werent able to count the bees still under snow banks in the north. Now that the snow has mostly melted, the losses there have been found to be staggering, but its not known yet what proportion, if any, died of CCD. In any event, the losses now are estimated, by my survey this week anyway, to be, instead of 35%, closer to 44% of all the U.S. bees died last winter. Again, doing the math, that comes to 1.1 million colonies, just shy of whats needed for almond pollination next spring. Hmmmm....
This survey, conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) in collaboration with the USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Lab was done to not only count dead beehives, but to help determine the distribution of various bee parasites and pathogens. Preliminary results from this survey reveal: ...
Posted By: Kim Flottum
4.29.2008 3:30PM
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Yesterday Paul Bedard, a reporter for US News and World Report magazine, had an interview with Ed Schafer, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, regarding the farm bill, which is getting somewhat messy, or not, depending on who you talk to. Lots of money is still on the table and where it ultimately will go is getting interesting. But one of the questions Paul asked was about funding for Colony Collapse Disorder. If you read his latest youll see what the head guy thinks, and that is, the scientists have it under control. Or rather, "We already have it in the labs. We have this great bee guy who's tinkering away in the lab to see what's going on," Schafer said.
A great bee guy? Tinkering? Already have it in the labs? ...
Posted By: Kim Flottum
4.23.2008 10:25AM
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I recently talked to Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, a professor from the University of Montana and one of the owners of
Bee Alert Technology, a company that seeks out problems affecting
Posted By: Kim Flottum
4.14.2008 7:49AM
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The Apiary Inspectors Of America commissioned a survey of colony losses this past winter. It is the best count of whats happened so far this year since it's the only count of whats happened so far this year. The AIA talked to beekeepers who have under their control about 18% of the nations 2.44 million colonies (about a half million colonies). What they found is not good news. ...
Posted By: Kim Flottum