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Vanishing Honeybees Will Affect Future Crops

Posted by kdawson on from the bee-gone dept.

daninbusiness writes "Across the US, beekeepers are finding that their bees are disappearing — not returning while searching for nectar and pollen. This could have a major impact on the food industry in the United States, where as much as $14 billion worth of agriculture business depends on bees for crop pollination. Reasons for this problem, dubbed 'colony collapse disorder,' are still unknown. Theories include viruses, some type of fungus, poor bee nutrition, and pesticides."

7 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. It sucks. by frakir · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Albert Einstein's: "if bees were to disappear, man would only have a few years to live".
    Bees pollinate about 60% of crops in US and Europe. Note that exact same disappearing colonies fenomenon happens in Portugal and Poland.
    We are doomed.

  2. Traveling hives by John+Jamieson · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I find it difficult believe that roving hives are still allowed. Sure it saves a bit of cash, but the potential effect it has on the spread of disease and parasites(that afflict bee's) should not be overlooked.

    Again, we sell of future potential for short term gain.

  3. Humor? by Wilson_6500 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's interesting to look at how many of the above responses are lame/decent attempts at humor.

    Is this because there's nothing in the article for us to all argue about, or because everyone thinks this is funny? What if herds of cattle started vanishing mysteriously out of fields, or cell colonies for research mysteriously all started to plate really poorly?

    Maybe the topic just lends itself to jokes--I had to try pretty hard to not make a cattle abduction joke up there.

    1. Re:Humor? by dave562 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      It's interesting to look at how many of the above responses are lame/decent attempts at humor. Is this because there's nothing in the article for us to all argue about, or because everyone thinks this is funny?

      When a superior man hears of the Tao,

      he immediately begins to embody it.

      When an average man hears of the Tao,

      he half believes it, half doubts it.

      When a foolish man hears of the Tao,

      he laughs out loud.

      If he didn't laugh,

      it wouldn't be the Tao.

    2. Re:Humor? by merreborn · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's interesting to look at how many of the above responses are lame/decent attempts at humor.

      Is this because there's nothing in the article for us to all argue about, or because everyone thinks this is funny?


      This is slashdot.org, not beedot.org. There aren't many people here with knowledge of the beekeeping industry. If this was about CPU fabrication, you'd see a thread full of detailed discussion on operations per cycle and whatever else.

      Instead, it's bees, so all we can do is crack bee jokes. Lack of knowledge => lack of insightful commentary.
  4. Re:please... by CaseyG · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hope you have learned from this that there can be no sarcasm so obvious that it will not be taken seriously.

      -c.

    --
    Casey

    More scratches on the cave wall, thanks be to anonymity.

  5. Re:lifestyle by Xonstantine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What does it say about our current lifestyle when even the bees are over stressed?

    It says some people don't wait for the investigation or the science to start before they pronounce a verdict. The idea is more or less "Behind every bad thing happening in the world, the US must be responsible for it, and if not the US, then surely humanity." I'm not sure this says anything about our current lifestyle, considering the research and investigation has barely begun. But don't let that stop you from rushing out to make a conclusion.