"If Bees go extinct, we all do." Rapid decline in Bee population...

So Glad

There's a lot of news reports of the Bee population declining as much as 80% in USA/Europe, as much as this might not cause much distress to you (maybe more relief) this is actually a BIG ecological problem. Bees pollinate our plants, thus making them breed and spawn over large areas, without the Bees help, this is either stopped or slowed down dramatically, as well as a few other things.

Here's some links about it:

http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/080407_bees.html

http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/usrbingeek/2007/04/26/if-bees-go-extinct-we-all-do/

http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk/2007/04/19/mobile-phones-are-killing-bees-mankind-will-be-extinct-in-four-years/

brianthebard

I thought the bee population here was on the rise due to the past few mild winters, not as many died off as usual?

Silverfish

Yeah I think we're okay for bees here, although wasn't it mainly the honey bees?


Good few bumble bees about. God I love bumblebees. How can you not love something so fuzzy and stupid.

TerrorFirmer

Silverfish wrote:

Good few bumble bees about. God I love bumblebees. How can you not love something so fuzzy and stupid.

http://accordionguy.blogware.com/Photos/2005/02/hairy_beach_dude_for_jesus.jpg

aidan_walsh

"Are mobile phones killing our bees?" in Green Issues.

Silverfish

HavoK wrote:

http://accordionguy.blogware.com/Photos/2005/02/hairy_beach_dude_for_jesus.jpg

Rar.


/kills self.

So Glad

HavoK wrote:

http://accordionguy.blogware.com/Photos/2005/02/hairy_beach_dude_for_jesus.jpg

That guy looks like Ron Jeremy..........ewww...

So Glad

aidan_walsh wrote:

"Are mobile phones killing our bees?" in Green Issues.

Yes, I read about that too, although mobile phones and mobile phone masts do a lot of damage to the human brain too, like depression, headaches, clogging of the mind.

The_Minister

So Glad wrote:

Yes, I read about that too, although mobile phones and mobile phone masts do a lot of damage to the human brain too, like depression, headaches, clogging of the mind.

Prove it. Oh wait, there is no proof, just speculation and studies only good for plugging mouseholes.

Manic Moran

Apparently the true cause is much less conspiratorial:

(Links in Spanish)
http://www.abc.es/20070429/sociedad-ciencia/espana-resuelve-enigma-muerte_200704290254.html

http://www.europapress.es/noticia.aspx?cod=20070422131709&ch=282

A parasite named Nosema Ceranae, which attacks the digestive systems of foraging bees.

NTM

Kojak

HavoK wrote:

http://accordionguy.blogware.com/Photos/2005/02/hairy_beach_dude_for_jesus.jpg

Oh god, that's disguisting. :eek:

Gaspode

So Glad wrote:

There's a lot of news reports of the Bee population declining as much as 80% in USA/Europe, as much as this might not cause much distress to you (maybe more relief) this is actually a BIG ecological problem. Bees pollinate our plants, thus making them breed and spawn over large areas, without the Bees help, this is either stopped or slowed down dramatically, as well as a few other things.

Here's some links about it:

http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/080407_bees.html

http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/usrbingeek/2007/04/26/if-bees-go-extinct-we-all-do/

http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk/2007/04/19/mobile-phones-are-killing-bees-mankind-will-be-extinct-in-four-years/

I think we might be all right for a while - where I am we're swimming in bees this year.

Pigman II

There's a lot of news reports of the Bee population declining as much as 80% in USA/Europe

Yes! I have noticed it's a little too quiet, if you know what I mean?

So Glad

Well, I myself have not been seeing many Bees AT ALL. All I am hearing about is Bees being overly aggressive this year and stinging more than usual.

Can someone post something that looks even remotely like a credible source?

ktnx

BrandonBlock

Theres a hive of them out my back garden anyway, no shortage of bees here.

Creature

Pigman II wrote:

Yes! I have noticed it's a little too quiet, if you know what I mean?

Bees usually make a lot of noise. No noise suggests no bees!

brianthebard

I love the idea that the whole eco-system pivots on one species. There's more than one way to spread pollen, and more than one insect that does it!

Robbo

Surely if the bees disappear we can draft in some converted wasps to fulfil the task. Give em a bit of fluff for the thorax and some headgear from Claire's Accessories and we're laughing, no one will know the difference.

Fanny Cradock

Creature wrote:

Bees usually make a lot of noise. No noise suggests no bees!

Oh look, there goes one now. To the Beemobile!

Goodluck2me

who`s going to teach the kids about sex then? the birds cant do it alone

WindSock

Fanny Cradock wrote:

Oh look, there goes one now. To the Beemobile!

Bees are on the what now?

DaBreno

Fanny Cradock wrote:

Oh look, there goes one now. To the Beemobile!

You mean your Chevy?

WindSock

DaBreno wrote:

You mean your Chevy?

Durrr. I jumped the gun a lot.

McSandwich

I've seen lots of wasps - one of the feckers divebombed me earlier. Also lots of bumble bees flying like they've had a few too many drinks as only they can do.. As for honey bees - I haven't see one so far this year

[edit]
Maybe they've given up on pollination and honey making... now that they can buzz for a takeaway on their mobiles
[/edit]

Tar.Aldarion

The birds and the wasps doesn't sound as good.

skywalker

goodluck2me wrote:

who`s going to teach the kids about sex then? the birds cant do it alone

Silverfish wrote:

Yeah I think we're okay for bees here, although wasn't it mainly the honey bees?


Good few bumble bees about. God I love bumblebees. How can you not love something so fuzzy and stupid.

Their getting shaggin massive though. Im not a big fan personally. I dont like the thoughts of anything thats liable to sting me just cause the fancy takes them.

MikeHoncho

So Glad wrote:

Well, I myself have not been seeing many Bees AT ALL. All I am hearing about is Bees being overly aggressive this year and stinging more than usual.

Its only the 1st of May. Its the first day of bee season. Just because the weather has been good early dont mean the bees have decided to start their cycle early.

Also do you have a source RE these aggressive bees? Or was it just your mate padjo who got stung on the arse that told you that?

The Hill Billy

This thread is wrecking my buzz.

WellyJ

deswalsh wrote:

I think we might be all right for a while - where I am we're swimming in bees this year.

Maybe they are all drowning then?

astrofool

There's an article on Bee's in the Economist this week. It seems as if something has been depressing their immune system, either a pesticide, or a new type of bug/one they have not been exposed to before.

Bee keepers make ALOT of money by providing the bee's for pollination, and as a consequence often move the bee's homes about. They have found bee's that move about alot are more likely to die in this way (but not in all cases).

Another theory is that something could be attacking a specific group of the bee's which are essential to the hive, and losing these causes the hive to die.

They've ruled out mobile phones as a problem (of course thats what they WANT you to believe )

Tar.Aldarion

Creature wrote:

Bees usually make a lot of noise. No noise suggests no bees!

Oh, I understand now. Oh look, there goes one now.
To the Beemobile!
-You mean your Chevy?
Yes.

Sam Vimes

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

Oh, I understand now. Oh look, there goes one now.
To the Beemobile!
-You mean your Chevy?
Yes.

too slooooooooooow


i wanted to post that

griffdaddy

MikeHoncho wrote:

Its only the 1st of May. Its the first day of bee season. Just because the weather has been good early dont mean the bees have decided to start their cycle early.

Also do you have a source RE these aggressive bees? Or was it just your mate padjo who got stung on the arse that told you that?

someone's got a bee in their bonnet!

The Hill Billy

griffdaddy wrote:

someone's got a bee in their bonnet!

Oh beehave!

Gaspode

So Glad wrote:

There's a lot of news reports of the Bee population declining as much as 80% in USA/Europe, as much as this might not cause much distress to you (maybe more relief) this is actually a BIG ecological problem. Bees pollinate our plants, thus making them breed and spawn over large areas, without the Bees help, this is either stopped or slowed down dramatically, as well as a few other things.

All joking aside, the OP is pure scare-mongering. Bees only provide a small fraction of the pollination that goes on every year. A huge number of flying insects pollinate, animals can also transfer pollen, and pollination can also occur in many plants simply using the wind to disperse pollen.
While I dont have sources to hand, any basis biology book for kids will explain this. Using a blog as a source is not reliable, might as well just grab the nearest Hans Christian Anderson book as a reference!

johnp

brianthebard wrote:

I love the idea that the whole eco-system pivots on one species. There's more than one way to spread pollen, and more than one insect that does it!

Ahhh, so when the other insects see that the bees have vanished they'll so their own job and the bees job too? They'll probably ask for a pay rise, so we best bear that in mind :rolleyes:

WindSock

I do like bees a lot. Even though they sting, I still think theyre nice because they use it as a last resort. I like them even more after seeing this.

Gaspode

boreds wrote:

I do like bees a lot. Even though they sting, I still think theyre nice because they use it as a last resort. I like them even more after seeing this.

Yeah they're nice - you can get some recipes here
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2160.html
or here
http://www.google.com/Top/Home/Cooking/Wild_Foods/Insects/

enjoy!:D

Zillah

BEEESSS!!!

Great species. The thought of millions of bees dying saddens me. The only bee I have seen this year was dying in the middle of the path for no apparent reason.

WindSock

deswalsh wrote:

Yeah they're nice - you can get some recipes here
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2160.html
or here
http://www.google.com/Top/Home/Cooking/Wild_Foods/Insects/

enjoy!:D

Have you tried? I'd like a taste. I wonder if you had a cut in your mouth and the sting got in would it taste like sting or would it just dissolve in the cooking?

Deliverance

Zillah wrote:

BEEESSS!!!

Great species. The thought of millions of bees dying saddens me. The only bee I have seen this year was dying in the middle of the path for no apparent reason.

He bee overacting like the OP. To bee or not to bee: that is the question.

luckat

Wasn't it Einstein that gave humanity four years if all the bees died out? Mind you, he wasn't a biologist.

for a second i read the title as beers
and i thought oh my god i'll really die if beer dies too
hehehe

McSandwich

Eric the half a bee anyone?

http://www.last.fm/music/Monty+Python/_/Eric+the+Half+a+Bee

dlofnep

I've been reading about this. It's very strange indeed.

Gaspode

Something sadly missing from most conversations on boards!

However, there may be a grain of truth in what the OP stated, though not quite the doomsday scenario that was painted. It appears there is some evidence after all that there is a decline in the bee population. [humble pie] Yum yum![/humble pie]

LinK: http://www.teagasc.ie/news/2007/200705-08.htm

Strangelt enough, as I said there seems to be a huge amount of bees around my area, and in the homestead in Cavan, so the anecdotal evidence flies in the face of the scientific evidence. Maybe its the early warm weather has messed the bees up this year,

Anyway, I still wouldnt pay much attention to what einstein said. He was a mere physicist, and sure what would they know about anything - the guy couldnt even find his way to a barbers ffs!

User45701

I hate bees and wasps so much and they always annoy me so i couldn't care less im sure its possible to artificially pollinate a plant