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Grittyville, WA

I have no problem with conspiracy theories. Probably half of them are true. But after many years of keeping bees, I think I can say the following:
1) Cell towers has nothing to do with it. I have bees in spots with no cell service and there is no difference in the survival.
2) Pesticides can be damaging but the bees are healthy most of the year and they really only collapse in November and December. I have experienced pesticide damage. It occurs when pesticides are applied to a specific food source. Although it would be a highly logical explanation, there would have to be widespread contamination of a specific late-fall food source. Maybe my eyes are closed, but I see nothing here but my own imagination and/or the inside of my eyelids.
3) The successful beekeepers I talk to ONLY talk about mites. They dont talk about anything else, really. You cant run a business successfully on theories. Those that correctly grasp the truth are successful. Those who dont, arent successful.

So everything seems points to the mites. They look like specks of rust. Late in fall when the mites have no bee brood to feed on they switch to adult bees and the adult bees cant handle this. A bit yucky but its mostly just boring. It's very old news really.

When reading the news, keep this in mind: So often when the truth is boring, it wont get published. Media Rule #1 Everything has to be edgy or exciting, or affirming (egocentric). Bees dying of mites doesnt is boring, so they play us with other sensational or controversial narratives.

There's a deep psychological question of why we are getting sucked away from/ avoiding the truth on so many levels. Maybe colony collapse is a sufficiently non-partisan issue where people can begin to see the truth... and just practice thinking about who is being deceived, who is being deceptive, and lastly & very important: why?

12/21/2020 6:09:11 AM

Wixom MI.

My concern with Systemic's are if they are absorbed through the roots and flows through the entire plant including the flowers and can keep bugs off your plants for 6 months, are the bees collecting this poisonous pollen and bringing it back to their hives and weekening the hive or killing the hive ???? I never hear any real answers to the question only vague answers ??? And of course that goes with many of the products that farmers use ??? Not saying that they are the problem but you can't ignore the possibility !!!

12/21/2020 11:18:56 AM

Grittyville, WA

In some areas on certain crops yes it's probably been a big problem. I had a farmer spray diazinon which wasnt the worst but it stressed them out for sure.

12/21/2020 12:34:38 PM

Foley, Minnesota

I feel the neonicotinoids get a bad wrap. We use them pretty much exclusively as a seed treatment in Minnesota. We plant right after the frost comes out, nothing is flowering so bees shouldn't encounter any planter dust. We only get control of early season leaf feeders and sap sucking insects. By the time soybeans start to flower the pesticide is diluted out in the ever growing plant and we need to start carefully scouting for soybean aphids.

12/21/2020 12:36:18 PM

Foley, Minnesota

In my opinion the best way to help out the agricultural industry is to register your hives on the internet. Then agronomists, and aerial applicators can more easily keep track of bees to make better decisions on the products we use and the time of day we apply them. Adam.

12/21/2020 12:39:30 PM

There is a small company with new technology that uses bees to deliver their pesticide right to the flower. The trials by some growers have been very successful.

12/21/2020 1:15:53 PM

Bee Vectoring Technologies International is the name of the company.

12/21/2020 1:19:23 PM

Alaska

Like any pesticides don't overuse. Know when to use and know how long they persists in cold soils vs warm soils. Meaning are they easily leached from the soil or do they bind to organics. Many pesticides were thought to be safe initially. But after years of use/overuse they build up in the soil contaminating the system.

12/21/2020 1:56:48 PM

Alaska

Imidacloprid is an insecticidal chlorinated nicotin derivative. It binds into nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and blocks cholinergic transmission. As a result, the insect is paralyzed and dies.

12/21/2020 2:37:08 PM

Alaska

Cedric Briens and colleagues note that concerns about the health risks of tobacco have reduced demand and hurt tobacco farmers in some parts of the world. Scientists are looking for new uses for tobacco. One potential use is as a natural pesticide, due to tobacco’s content of toxic nicotine. For centuries, gardeners have used home-made mixtures of tobacco and water as a natural pesticide to kill insect pests. A “green” pesticide industry based on tobacco could provide additional income for farmers, and as well as a new eco-friendly pest-control agent, the scientists say.

12/21/2020 2:44:27 PM

Savage, MN

Mites are the main plight to honey bees right now.
Yes pesticides, lack of forage, and many other things affect honey bee but none come close to the impact of mites. If a beekeeper doesn't treat their hives for mites the hive is die out almost every time.
But I would say other native bees are more affected by habitat loss, lack of forage, pesticides, and competition than honey bees are.

12/21/2020 6:49:36 PM

Alaska

In a way I glad to hear that. Just like Weed Nerd said neonicotinoids have gotten a bad rap. They're very effective products. If used according to the label they're very safe.

12/21/2020 7:55:45 PM

Grittyville, WA

I 100% agree Reeds. I know u keep bees. Such good info posted here.

There is a new organic treatment for the mites it works well I think so dont give up your hope for the world just yet... perhaps organic honey and healthy bees is possible. Its something to be hopeful for (rather than worried about).

12/21/2020 8:09:16 PM