Scientists discover another cause of bee deaths, and it’s really bad news…

So what is with all the dying bees? Scientists have been trying to discover this for years. Meanwhile, bees keep dropping like… well, you know. Is it mites? Pesticides? Cell phone towers? What is really at the root?

Turns out the real issue really scary, because it is more complex and pervasive than thought. Quartz reports: Scientists had struggled to find the trigger for so-called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that has wiped out an estimated 10 million beehives, worth $2 billion, over the past six years.

Suspects have included pesticides, disease-bearing parasites and poor nutrition. But in a first-of-its-kind study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists at the University of Maryland and the US Department of Agriculture have identified a witch’s brew of pesticides and fungicides contaminating pollen that bees collect to feed their hives.

The findings break new ground on why large numbers of bees are dying

……..though they do not identify the specific cause of CCD, where an entire beehive dies at once. The researchers behind that study in PLOS ONE — Jeffery S. Pettis, Elinor M. Lichtenberg, Michael Andree, Jennie Stitzinger, Robyn Rose, Dennis vanEngelsdorp — collected pollen from hives on the east coast, including cranberry and watermelon crops, and fed it to healthy bees.

Those bees had a serious decline in their ability to resist a parasite

……that causes Colony Collapse Disorder. The pollen they were fed had an average of nine different pesticides and fungicides, though one sample of pollen contained a deadly brew of 21 different chemicals.

Further, the researchers discovered that bees that ate pollen with fungicides were three times more likely to be infected by the parasite. .

The discovery means that fungicides…..

…….thought harmless to bees, is actually a significant part of Colony Collapse Disorder. And that likely means farmers need a whole new set of regulations about how to use fungicides.

While neonicotinoids have been linked to mass bee deaths — the same type of chemical at the heart of the massive bumble bee die off in Oregon.

This study opens up an entirely new finding……

……that it is more than one group of pesticides, but a combination of many chemicals, which makes the problem far more complex. And it is not just the types of chemicals used that need to be considered, but also spraying practices.

The bees sampled by the authors foraged not from crops, but almost exclusively from weeds and wildflowers, which means bees are more widely exposed to pesticides than thought.

The authors write, "More attention must be paid to how honey bees are exposed to pesticides

……outside of the field in which they are placed. We detected 35 different pesticides in the sampled pollen, and found high fungicide loads. The insecticides esfenvalerate and phosmet were at a concentration higher than their median lethal dose in at least one pollen sample.

While fungicides are typically seen as fairly safe for honey bees, we found an increased probability of Nosema infection in bees that consumed pollen with a higher fungicide load. Our results highlight a need for research on sub-lethal effects of fungicides and other chemicals that bees placed in an agricultural setting are exposed to."

While the overarching issue is simple — chemicals used on crops kill bees……

…..the details of the problem are increasingly more complex, including what can be sprayed, where, how, and when to minimize the negative effects on bees and other pollinators while still assisting in crop production.

Right now, scientists are still working on discovering the degree to which bees are affected and by what. It will still likely be a long time before solutions are uncovered and put into place.

When economics come into play…..

.….an outright halt in spraying anything at all anywhere is simply impossible. Quartz notes, "Bee populations are so low in the US that it now takes 60% of the country’s surviving colonies just to pollinate one California crop, almonds. And that’s not just a west coast problem—California supplies 80% of the world’s almonds, a market worth $4 billion."

text of this article taken from an article in  nature knows.org

 

~stay healthy ~

 

______________________________________________________

check out all my articles in "Eat Smart", the science of food (click here or on the photo below)

Leave Your Response

* Name, Email, Comment are Required

“Body”, (Part 48)
a.k.a. “Watching You”
(…a “Locked Down” Summertime Slideshow)

____hidden separator space__

Bento Box Turkey Club
Roll Ups

____hidden separator space__

“Misty in Manhattan”
(Ballerina Misty Copelnd gives a tour of her Manhattan Home)

____hidden separator space__

Paleo Cod Lettuce Wraps

____hidden separator space__

Pinterest shuts down my Pinterest Page because of my Kolin Kaepernick article

____hidden separator space__

“Dressed to Grill”
…Sophisticated Skewers (Part 11)

____hidden separator space__

Cucumber Avocado Wraps

____hidden separator space__

____hidden separator space__

“Music is the Best Medicine”
“P.D.A. (We Just Don’t Care)”
-John Legend

____hidden separator space__

Jamaican Jerk Skewers

____hidden separator space__

Ms. Rashidat Owe, Vegan, talks Detox, Fitness and how Yoga saved her life from Drug Abuse

____hidden separator space__

Chicken and Avocado Sandwich Bento Box

____hidden separator space__

“It’s a Beautiful Day”
(…for Ziggy Marley’s Pancakes)

____hidden separator space__

Moroccan Chicken Skewers

____hidden separator space__

Home Cookin’ !!!
(Great Homes, Great Food!!)
Healthy, Tasty Wraps, featuring
Kim White’s Cozy 296sf Crib…

____hidden separator space__

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Wings

____hidden separator space__

Michael B. Jordan Reveals his Body Transformation Secrets for “Creed” and “Black Panther”

____hidden separator space__

Cheesy Avocado Toast

____hidden separator space__

Black Owned “Foot Print Farms” in Mississippi Gets Meals to Children During the COVID-19 Crisis

____hidden separator space__

Healthy Herb Fries

____hidden separator space__

Girl Talk:
Beauty Secrets from Africa
(Part 3)

____hidden separator space__

Orange and Avocado Salad

____hidden separator space__

Cool Fitness Gear!!!
(Part 4)

____hidden separator space__

Fifteen Creative Five Ingredient Smoothies

____hidden separator space__

Fifty+, Fit and Fabulous!!!
Angelique Miles, Age 53 !!!
Wellness “Influencer”

____hidden separator space__

Pan Fried Cod in a Citrus Basil Butter Sauce

____hidden separator space__

African American Men are at High Risk of ‘False Positives’ in Prostate Cancer Screening

____hidden separator space__

Sheet Pan Roasted Spring Veggies with Eggs

____hidden separator space__

Planning the Perfect “Picnic Date” at an Esparanza Spalding Concert

____hidden separator space__

Chocolate Espresso Waffles

____hidden separator space__

“Sustainable Lenny” !!!
(…a sneak peek inside Lenny Kravitz’s Farm and Ranch)

____hidden separator space__

Collard Wraps with Citrus Slaw

____hidden separator space__

Beauty products marketed to Black Women more likely to contain toxic chemicals (…says a recent study)

____hidden separator space__

Spicy Chicken Meal Prep

____hidden separator space__

One Woman’s Journey into Fighting Acne With Essential Oils

____hidden separator space__

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Potatoes

____hidden separator space__

Black Sesame Seeds help fight Prostate Cancer (…easy to add to daily Smoothies!!)

____hidden separator space__

Eggs Fried in Bell Peppers

____hidden separator space__

Ballerina Misty Copeland’s
Five Ways She Eats, Trains and Lives Healthy

____hidden separator space__

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Lemon Garlic Shrimp

____hidden separator space__

Men’s Natural Body Care
(…becoming an all-natural, GQ “Smooth Operator”)

____hidden separator space__

Farmer’s Market Salad

____hidden separator space__

Girl Talk: Natural Contraceptive Methods

____hidden separator space__

My Top 30 Superfood
“Power Rankings”
(….numbers 1 thru 10)

____hidden separator space__

Visual Medicine…
Amazing Street Dancers

____hidden separator space__

____hidden separator space__

Rainbow Veggie Skewers

____hidden separator space__

“Loves Times Love”
(..a Bright Brooklyn Wedding Affair)

____hidden separator space__

Turmeric Fruit Salad

____hidden separator space__

Putting Monsanto in Your Vagina?
…Many Tampons Contaminated with Toxic Glyphosate Herbicide

____hidden separator space__

Mushroom, Egg, and Spinach Breakfast Wraps

____hidden separator space__

The Prostate Cancer Fighting “Fantastic Four” : Broccoli, Turmeric, Green Tea, Pomegranate

____hidden separator space__

Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Hash

____hidden separator space__

Toxin Levels in women drop sharply  just 3 days after switching to natural makeup  (…a recent study says)

____hidden separator space__

Simple Baked Italian Oregano Meatballs

____hidden separator space__

The “Gangster Gardener”
He plants food gardens on vacant lots all over South Central L.A.

____hidden separator space__

The “Green Goddess” Sandwich

____hidden separator space__

Men’s Health: Nutrients for Male Vitality and Well Being (Part 7)

____hidden separator space__

Chicken, Cucumber and Avocado Salad

____hidden separator space__

“The Wanderlust Food Diaries”
“Grab Your Hat, Here We Go”
…to Bajacu Villa, Turks and Caicos
Menu: another Tropical Lunch

____hidden separator space__

“Hanging” With India Arie
…On St. Lucia Island, Caribbean
Menu: Vegetarian Kabobs

____hidden separator space__

“Clean Eating” Bento Boxes

____hidden separator space__

Potato, Pepper, and Egg Skillet

____hidden separator space__

New Study Reveals Importance of Zinc in Prostate Health

____hidden separator space__

Summer Glow
“Buddha Bowl”

____hidden separator space__

Dinner and a Movie:
“Creed”
On the Menu: Healthy Philly Cheesesteak

____hidden separator space__

Almond Banana Pancakes

____hidden separator space__

Health and Safety Tips When Getting a Tattoo

____hidden separator space__

See all articles in “The Healthy Chef’s Cookbook”
(The Art of Food)

____hidden separator space__

See all articles in “Eat Smart”
(The Science of Food)

____hidden separator space__

The GAIA Health Blog
Ranked in Top 100 Health Blogs!!!

…and top 100 Natural Food Blogs for 2018

____hidden separator space__

____hidden separator space__

(BELOW) Links to my favorite sites who are ”Raging Against the Machine”
(and also some fun cooking blogs)

One Bold Soul: Artist and Writer

(…”Healthy but Smart” is one of the best websites I’ve found, if you want to find unbiased, informative, and understandable research and info on superfoods and so forth, to aid in taking your health back!!)

____hidden separator space__

(same name, different blog, no need to fight about it)

Real Food Freaks

Kim’s “Nutritionally Well”

THE PAST ON A PLATE
Special ‘shout out’ to this food blogger. Totally different style than me, but my favorite food blog in creativity. She inspired me to start my ‘Dinner and a Movie’ and “Wanderlust Food Diaries’ articles.

Search