Honey bees dying? Humans are to blame?

It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food shortages, as the world's harvests fail.

They are putting forward the theory that radiation given off by mobile phones and other hi-tech gadgets is a possible answer to one of the more bizarre mysteries ever to happen in the natural world - the abrupt disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops. Late last week, some bee-keepers claimed that the phenomenon - which started in the US, then spread to continental Europe - was beginning to hit Britain as well.

The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers, like so many apian Mary Celestes. The vanished bees are never found, but thought to die singly far from home. The parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives.

The alarm was first sounded last autumn, but has now hit half of all American states. The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its commercial bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.

CCD has since spread to Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. And last week John Chapple, one of London's biggest bee-keepers, announced that 23 of his 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.

Other apiarists have recorded losses in Scotland, Wales and north-west England, but the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs insisted: "There is absolutely no evidence of CCD in the UK."

The implications of the spread are alarming. Most of the world's crops depend on pollination by bees. Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".

No one knows why it is happening. Theories involving mites, pesticides, global warming and GM crops have been proposed, but all have drawbacks.

German research has long shown that bees' behaviour changes near power lines.

Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn, who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause.

Dr George Carlo, who headed a massive study by the US government and mobile phone industry of hazards from mobiles in the Nineties, said: "I am convinced the possibility is real."


The case against handsets

Evidence of dangers to people from mobile phones is increasing. But proof is still lacking, largely because many of the biggest perils, such as cancer, take decades to show up.

Most research on cancer has so far proved inconclusive. But an official Finnish study found that people who used the phones for more than 10 years were 40 per cent more likely to get a brain tumour on the same side as they held the handset.

Equally alarming, blue-chip Swedish research revealed that radiation from mobile phones killed off brain cells, suggesting that today's teenagers could go senile in the prime of their lives.

Studies in India and the US have raised the possibility that men who use mobile phones heavily have reduced sperm counts. And, more prosaically, doctors have identified the condition of "text thumb", a form of RSI from constant texting.

Professor Sir William Stewart, who has headed two official inquiries, warned that children under eight should not use mobiles and made a series of safety recommendations, largely ignored by ministers.

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2449968.ece

Do you think humans are really causing honey bees to die? Do you think it's because of cell phones? What are the consequences of honey bees being extinct? Do you think we could survive without them?  Discuss and debate.

I hate people who say "Einstein said..." because Einstein was a physicist and an amateur philosopher, but he wasn't a biologist. His thought on honeybees don't add anything to a newspaper article.

Edit: none of us are biologists, either. I don't know what there is to debate.

The second half of that article is nothing but old urban legends. It's painful to read.

How the same problem is being looked at here in the UK...

Bid to halt bumblebee decline 


Help will be offered in identifying the different bumblebees

A national drive to help boost the number of bumblebees in Britain has been launched.
Campaigners from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust are calling on the public to take part in a bumblebee survey to catalogue different species.

Conservationists from the University of Stirling want gardeners to help them get a better idea of the national distribution of bumblebees.

Studies show that in recent years three species have become extinct in Britain.

Ben Darvill from the trust said there was a lot the public could do to help.

He said: "People will be surprised to hear that there are actually 25 different species of bumblebee and six or so of them are common in people's gardens.

"But a lot of the others are seriously threatened, in fact three of them are already nationally extinct."

Studies show that three species of the insect have become extinct in Britain, while another nine are endangered.

Styles of plants

Researches said the decline was largely down to changes in the countryside with a reduction in flowers, hedges and marshland.

Mr Darvill said bee numbers could be increased by simply changing the plants grown in gardens.

He said: "Gardeners can do a lot to help just by planting the right sorts of plants in their garden by moving away from traditional bedding plants to more cottage garden styles of plants."

Those wishing to take part in the survey are being asked to record the bumblebees in their area by taking photographs and emailing the trust.

More on the trust:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6517583.stm

There is no mention of Mobile phones doing the damage... Or in the trusts eye what is at the moment...

Link to the trust:- http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/

On the site it looks like they view Global changes and plants not being readily available as the thing causing the decline.

May be we are effecting the plant life indirectly... We have a large impact on many a thing our rate of growth is a strong one and effects insects as a whole... It's a shame... but if Darwin's theory is correct we should just be left with the fittest of the species... and if that doesn't happen then... Darn... the Bumble bee dies out... Is it such a shame ?... Butter flies help pollination... Heck we could make pollen collectors and distributers if it came to it...

Well, a few days ago, I went to San Fransico for the day, and I saw a group of Snipers on a roof shooting down Honey Bee nests, tell ya what, I think their wings are worth lots of money, that's what I think. 

No, I love bees, I used to let Bumble Bees crawl on me, and they didn't harm me, I think that we should start having more planets in our yard and on our porches, if we did, I think that could help a little, I miss the bees...except any thing to do with wasps, they're deadly to me, I have very very bad allergic reaction to wasp stings. Even though we're talking about Honey Bees, please come back honey!  (sorry for the pun)

This is all bullshit.

In before Elegy.

LOL... I don't much care for insects either... But if you have nothing intelligent to say, keep it in spam...

Honey Bee's and all the varities of Bee need to be protected, that's what a fair few of these WEB site foundations want... But I put it to them, that people don't go killing them out of the sheer fun of it...

If you have a bee's nest in your roof, you want rid of it... Yeah may be shooting it isn't the answer, but letting the bee's have you roof space isn't either...

Having wild life parks and special gardens for birds and insects alike is the only way i can see them doing some thing to help the numbers.

I'm sorry, let me clarify. When I said "this is all bullshit," what I meant was: This is not true. Why does everyone think that humans are always fucking things up one way or another? I wish scientists would do something worthwhile like stem cell research, instead of studying how many fucking bees die when they're near a cell phone.

LOL... Then I agree Whole heartly Holkeye... when put like that, I see why you think it's Bull Shit !!!

+1 rep for Holkeye

I don't have a cell phone, they cause brain tumors.

They are dying because of global warming. They might not be dying, they just might be moving, migrating to areas that fit their climate needs better. Humans can live without them I think. They pollonate flowers, but trees that produce most of the oxygen in the world have nuts or fruit with their seeds inside them.

They are dying because of global warming. They might not be dying, they just might be moving, migrating to areas that fit their climate needs better. Humans can live without them I think. They pollonate flowers, but trees that produce most of the oxygen in the world have nuts or fruit with their seeds inside them.

Proof please? ......

  That point has been brought up before on Art Bell. (The migration one).

I don't know about that.....

They are dying because of global warming. They might not be dying, they just might be moving, migrating to areas that fit their climate needs better. Humans can live without them I think. They pollonate flowers, but trees that produce most of the oxygen in the world have nuts or fruit with their seeds inside them.

Proof please? ......

  That point has been brought up before on Art Bell. (The migration one).

I don't know about that.....

Proof please? Killer bees from Africa ending up in the United States, cause Africa is becoming too hot to support insect life that they are accustom to? Old people like warmth and heat... so they migrate to Florida. If Florida was not warm anymore, they would go to Nevada or California.

Cellphones are not responsible for this Bee Shit.

I asked an actual Biologist for his opinion. He said he'd put his money (not joking at all when he said this, he had good proof and reasons) on a brain parasite. A similar thing appens to slugs at the end of their life spans.

Update!  Since I'm sure you all want the latest info on this debate...


The View is officially supporting the cell phone theory.  Both Whoopie Goldberg and Rosie O'Donnell asked audience members to give up their cell phones, to save the bees! 

I was home sick today.  I swear.

I think you misunderstood. They were telling bees to give up cell phones.

You watch the View too?  Wonderful!  Lets get together for biscuits and crumpets and shit and watch them together.  As for bees with cell phones, I always thought that cells would get to a stage where they are too small...  also, how are the bees dying cause of their cells?  Are they chatting while flying and getting into accidents?

We should start a more important topic, Bees drunk flying is the number 1 cause of accidents.  QABFD.  Queens Against Flying Drunk.

We should start a more important topic, Bees drunk flying is the number 1 cause of accidents.  QABFD.  Queens Against Flying Drunk.

If you want to start a topic about this important issue, I will glady debate you on any aspect of it.  Finally I can use my PHD!

No offense, just because Whooppie Goldberg and Rosie O'Donnell, and a few scientists said it's so, doesn't mean it is.

Of course it does, just like with evolution.

Rossie O'Donnell supports evolution?  *stops going to church

....
 

I'm ever so confused.........................................................................

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Of course it does, just like with evolution.

Since when did you get un-banned...? Well, nice to meet ya! Never posted on the same topic before.

TeaBag, may I ask you, do you really watch the view? 
No offense, but aren't you a guy?

I know where they are going, the bees fall off the flat side of the Earth! Yeah they migrate west to the edge of the map and fall off.