Cell Phones Aren't Killing Bees After All

radioweather writes "A couple of weeks ago, there was a nutty idea discussed in The Independent that claimed the electromagnetic radiation from cell phones was causing bees to become disoriented, preventing them from returning to the hive. The flimsy cell phone argument was used to explain Colony Collapse Disorder. Today the LA Times reports that researchers at UC San Francisco have uncovered what they believe to be the real culprit: a parasitic fungus. Other researchers said Wednesday that they too had found the fungus, a single-celled parasite called Nosema ceranae, in affected hives from around the country."

Comments

GM crops

[michaelmalak]

The LA Times article itself states:

"We still haven't ruled out other factors, such as pesticides or inadequate food resources following a drought," she said. "There are lots of stresses that these bees are experiencing," and it may be a combination of factors that is responsible.

Well, thanks to Monsanto et al, our plants now ooze pesticides. Farmers in Pennsylvania and Germany suspect a link between GM crops and colony collapse. As the Der Spiegel article states, the GM crop toxins could be weakening the bees' immune systems, making them more susceptible to traditional pathogens.