Where have the bees gone not a one in trash this weekend at a large festival?

Your question is excellent - honey bees all over North America HAVE been disappering lately. But their disappearance has nothing to do with cell phones (I'm a beekeeper with lots of friends who are also beekeepers and we've all lived near cell phone towers for years with no problems).





In Pennsylvania alone, it is estimated that 75% of the honeybees have died in recent months. Why is this? It's caused by a new disease called Colony Collapse Disorder(CCD). But NOBODY really knows why they leave their hives or where they go off to - it's a mystery currently being investigated.





- While the exact mechanisms of CCD remain unknown, malnutrition, pesticides, pathogens, immunodeficiencies, mites, fungus, genetically modified (GM) crops, stress cause from being moved all over the country to pollinate crops, and electromagnetic radiation have all been proposed as causative agents.





But what we DO know is that if CCD wipes out all the honeybees - we're in a HEAP of trouble.





- It seems that a very high percentage (25-90%) of the bees are simply disappearing and not returning to the hive. No one is sure at this time what the cause is, but, we do have the following clues, effects, and speculations:





- CCD was first reported in America in mid-November 2006





- The effect of CCD is that millions of bees have simply vanished, leaving unborn bees beehind. In most cases, all that's left in the hives are the doomed offspring (not enough bees stay to keep the hive flourishing). Dead bees are typically nowhere to be found - they just vanish.





- Nearly all surviving bees afflicted by CCD carry multiple fungal infections, indicating that the bees are being immunosuppressed.





- in many instances, neighboring bees and other critters are not even raiding the collapsed hives (ie, going after the honey) as would be expected. This suggests the presence of a deterrent chemical or toxin in affected hives.





- beekeepers who frequently moved their hives (ie, to orchards for pollination) appear more likely to be afflicted.





- The genome of the honeybee is yielding some clues. Researchers have compared it with that of other insects, including the fruit fly and the mosquito. They have found that bees cannot make an enzyme that other insects use to help eliminate toxins from the body. This could leave bees at risk of poisoning.





- genetically modified plants are suspected to be the culprit, and may be creating what I would call a ';cascading effect'; in a complex cycle that causes bees to become infected by other diseases. Some hive survivors (scant few) have been found with multiple infections. Because of this, some researchers are working on the idea that the insects' immune systems have failed.





- During the week of April 23rd, the US Department of Agriculture convened a workshop of apiarists and federal and university scientists to suggest some answers.





- there are reports that organic beekeepers (ie, those who don't use ';apistan strips'; or other miticides in their hives) are not suffering from CCD. Time will tell on this point.


http://www.celsias.com/blog/2007/05/15/o鈥?/a>





Some crops are completely dependent on honeybees, and since most honeybees are owned by beekeepers, this loss will have a serious impact on food production.





And all of this follows close on the heels of the crises that seemed to be only worsening in recent years because of the varroa and tracheal mites:


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/c鈥?/a>Where have the bees gone not a one in trash this weekend at a large festival?
They've been poisoned by a pesticide called ';Gaucho'; produced by the company Bayer:





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidaclopri鈥?/a>





Tell people and get this stuff banned!Where have the bees gone not a one in trash this weekend at a large festival?
no one knows, but it's a big problem for the agriculture industry
I'd like to thank Advisorpro06 for his excellent information on Colony Collapse Disorder. I'm definitely saving some of those links. (and a boo to whoever gave it a Thumbs Down).





However, the social Vespids found in the trash at a typical large festival are usually not honeybees - which are the species that has been disappearing due to CCD. Usually, the trash of greasy food and sugar-laden drinks is highly attractant to wasps like yellowjackets.





Yellowjackets haven't been undergoing any kind of colony collapse, and indeed in recent years of warm, dry weather, they seem to be increasing in many areas.





However, it's still early in the season for most wasp hives. They aren't really at their full size yet, and won't have as many foragers out looking for food sources to find picnics, festivals and fair grounds. July and August are the big months for yellowjacket activity (and also the big months for festivals).





I can't imagine that most people would be all that upset about wasp populations crashing - but they do serve a useful purpose in the ecosystem as well. They prey on a large number of caterpillars and other insects we consider pests, and reduction in wasp numbers could well mean an increase in those pests.
Apparently, they've all moved to the country. We have all of ours and some to spare!
oh don't depress me =(
I've heard that all the bees are dying out. This is a major issue because they pollinate so much! We need to find a way to preserve the bees!
From what I understand they are unable to return to their hives due to cell phone interference. It is a huge concern for farmers but I don't see a lot of Americans being concerned about it until it inconveniences them.