By Dr. Mercola
Bee populations are dwindling across the globe, putting one
in three food crops like apples and almonds, which depend on
pollination from bees, at serious risk.
In the US, beekeepers have reported annual losses of about 33
percent of their hives each year, a level of loss that the
Agricultural Research Services reports could threaten the
economic viability of the bee pollination industry if it
continues1
(and some beekeepers report much higher losses than this at
upwards of 70 or, in some cases, 100 percent).
Despite the growing losses, the causes of the massive bee
die-offs have yet to be firmly defined, although accumulating
research is pointing to a cocktail of agricultural chemicals as
a likely primary culprit.
New Study: Fungicides May Be Killing Bees
Systemic neonicotinoid pesticides have been increasingly
blamed for bee deaths (and were implicated in a recent mass
bee die-off of 25,000 bumblebees along with
millions of bee deaths in Canada), prompting the European
Union (EU) to ban them for two years.
Now, it appears measures that target single classes of
pesticides, though a move in the right direction, may be falling
short. In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers analyzed pollen
from bee hives in seven major crops and found 35 different
pesticides along with high fungicide loads.2
Each sample contained, on average, nine different pesticides and
fungicides, although one contained 21 different chemicals.
Furthermore, when the pollen was fed to healthy bees, they
had a significant decline in the ability to resist infection
with the Nosema ceranae parasite, which has been
implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
What makes the research particularly unique is the concerning
data on fungicides, which has so far been assumed to be safe for
bees. While farmers are advised to avoid spraying pesticides
when bees are present, for instance, fungicides contain no such
warnings.
The researchers explained:
“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.”
Also concerning, the researchers found that the bees in the
study collected pollen almost exclusively from weeds and
wildflowers, and this, too, was contaminated with pesticides
even though they were not directly sprayed.
“It’s not clear whether the pesticides are drifting
over to those plants but we need take a new look at
agricultural spraying practices,” the study’s lead
author told Quartz.3
US Bill Introduced to Take Neonicotinoids Off the Market
Following the
June incident that killed 25,000 bumblebees, the Oregon
Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced that they were
restricting the use of 18 pesticide products containing
dinotefuran, a type of neonicotinoid.
These chemicals are typically applied to seeds before
planting, allowing the pesticide to be taken up through the
plant’s vascular system as it grows. As a result, the chemical
is expressed in the pollen and nectar of the plant, and hence
the danger to bees and other pollinating insects.
As mentioned, the EU has also banned these pesticides,
beginning December 1, 2013, to study their involvement with
large bee kills they, too, are experiencing.
To date, however, the US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has failed to take action and has already been sued once
by beekeepers and environmental groups for
failing to protect bees from neonicotinoid pesticides.
They have also green-lighted another pesticide that is a close
cousin to these toxic chemicals (sulfoxaflor) and, as a result,
several beekeeping organizations and beekeepers have filed a
legal action against the EPA for approving sulfoxaflor, which is
considered by many to be a "fourth-generation neonicotinoid.
In the US, the tide may be turning, however, as just last
month the “Save America’s Pollinators Act” was introduced. If
passed, this bill, HR 2692, would require the EPA to pull
neonicotinoid pesticides from the market until their safety is
proven. Please contact your representative today to voice your
support for this incredibly important issue.
US Almond Crops Are Already At Risk
We’re beginning to get a taste of what the world would be
like without bees. This year, many of the 6,000 almond orchard
owners in California simply could not find
enough bees to pollinate their almond trees, at any
price. This is alarming, considering that 80 percent of the
world’s almonds come from California’s central valley, an
800,000-acre area of almond orchards that are 100 percent
dependent on bees pollinating the trees. Surprisingly, almonds
are the number one agricultural product in California.
Fortunately, unsurpassed efforts that included persuading
beekeepers as far away as Florida to ship their bees cross
country, delayed bloom, and unseasonably good weather thereafter
allowed almond growers to dodge the bullet – this year
– despite having fewer and weaker-than-ever hives...
This narrowly achieved success may lead some to reach the
mistaken conclusion that beekeepers’ concerns are overblown, but
don’t be fooled. One beekeeper went so far as to say he believes
the beekeeper industry is doomed and cannot survive for more
than another two to three years unless drastic changes
are implemented immediately...
What Are Some of the Top Theories for Bee Die-Offs?
Environmental chemicals are a forerunner for what’s causing
so many bees to die, but it’s likely that there are multiple
factors at play here. Among the top proposed culprits include:
- Pesticides, insecticides and fungicides
– Neonicotinoids, such as Imidacloprid and Clothianidin,
kills insects by attacking their nervous systems. These are
known to get into pollen and nectar, and can damage
beneficial insects such as bees.
- Malnutrition/Nutritional deficiencies –
Many beekeepers place the hives near fields of identical
crops, which may result in malnutrition as the bees are only
getting one type of nectar. Essentially, this theory is
identical to that of human nutrition; we need a wide variety
of nutrients from different foods.
If you keep eating the same limited range of foods, you
can easily end up suffering from nutritional deficiencies.
Poor nutrition suppresses immune function, making the bees
far more susceptible to toxins from pesticides, viruses,
fungi, or a combination of factors that ultimately kill
them.
- Viruses and fungi – There's even the
possibility that some new form of "AIDS-like" viral
infection is affecting the bees.
- Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) –
Researchers have discovered that when a cellular phone is
placed near a hive, the radiation generated by it (900-1,800
MHz) is enough to prevent bees from returning to them,
according to a study conducted at Landau University several
years ago.4
More recently, a study published in 2011 found that the
presence of microwaves from cell phones have a dramatic
effect on bees, causing them to become quite disturbed.5
- Lack of natural foraging areas – Mass
conversions of grasslands to corn and soy in the Midwest
has dramatically reduced bees’ natural foraging areas.
- Genetically modified (GM) crops – In
2007, a German study demonstrated that
horizontal gene transfer appears to take place between
the GM crop and the bees that feed on it.6
When bees were released in a field of genetically modified
rapeseed, and then fed the pollen to younger bees, the
scientists discovered the bacteria in the guts of the young
ones mirrored the same genetic traits as ones found in the
GM crop.
You Can Start Helping Bees Right in Your Own Backyard
The Pollinator Partnership has revealed many ways you can
help the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations.7
Clearly major steps need to be taken on a national level to
protect pollinators from toxic chemicals and other threats, and
you can help in this regard by supporting the Save America’s
Pollinators Act. Friends of the Earth has also launched the
Bee-Action Campaign to tell stores to take bee-killing
pesticides like neonicotinoids off of their shelves, and you can
help by
signing their petition now.
That said, you can even make a difference right in your own
backyard:
- Reduce or eliminate your use of pesticides
- Plant a pollinator-friendly garden by choosing a variety
of plants that will continue flowering from spring through
fall; check out the
Bee Smart
Pollinator App for a database of nearly 1,000
pollinator-friendly plants
- Choose plants native to your region and stick with
old-fashioned varieties, which have the best blooms,
fragrance and nectar/pollen for attracting and feeding
pollinators
- Install a
bee house
Finally, if you would like to learn even more about the
economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide
disappearance of the honeybee, check out the extremely
informative documentary film
Vanishing of the Bees.
© Copyright 1997-2013 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.