The Heards & the Bees

[onib]

Is anyone familiar with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)? It's been happening lately in the US & Europe. CCD is when a beehive is suddenly left empty by all adult workers, leaving the queen, immature bees, and eggs. The worker bees that fly off simply never return to the nest. The amount of bees disappearing has been increasing in many areas,

Comments

[beautyofgrey]

I was just talking with an officemate about CCD last week. We were sitting there pondering about the possible causes. That's interesting. I imagine it's more of a variety of environmental factors (and gross human interference). I have to wonder what the consequences will be. I imagine genetic engineering of crops may actually be involved, either in abeting the problem, or the solution.

[onib]

I'm very interested in where this leads. Most people really have no idea how much of their food bees are responsible for (either directly or indirectly).

I suppose this means it's a good time to invest in the commodities market since we might be short on everything soon.

[gwalkmaur]

I blame invisible Anteater-like bee eaters...they hunt for a hive, find it, and wait outside, sticking their invisible tongue out now and again to grab an unsuspecting worker bee. Then, when no more bees come out, they move on to the next hive.

[onib]

Fuckers. Why can't they hang around bird-feeders and harass squirrels?

[onib]

IAlBE's are out to kill us all. You just watch them...er...or whatever you do to invisible things.

[onib]

Sometimes our brains just can't handle the sheer number of things that we could be worrying about. Don't feel bad if you can't face them all at once. Besides, most of these things are (1) theories and not confirmed fact and (2) not properly understood, even by top scientists.

You're not unfeeling - you care very much. In fact, you are extremely sensitive about some things, and that is why you have to not think too much about them or you overload. I think that if you can do something to help another person or the world in general, then do so, but don't become paralyzed by worry or guilt about all the things you feel you should worry/feel guilty about. There's just too much to process all of it.

[unfettrdphoenix]

I don't mean to add to the worry... but did they ever find a cause for why the birds dropped dead? I had forgotten all about it, but wanted to follow the stories.

[somechick]

Another theory is that the increased UV radiation that is a result of damage to the ozone layer is damaging their vision - as well as degrading pollen.

Poor bees. :(

[onib]

Poor bees is right. They really can't win for losing with everything we're throwing against them.