Bees // Current TV

Cellphone Towers EMR Damaging Birds, Insects, Humans

“The review of existing literature shows that the EMRs are interfering with the... more

wbradleyjr1
added this
1 year ago
|
1 comment

Monsanto buys Beeologics: will this genetically modify bees?

Monsanto Co. announced Wednesday that it had bought Beeologics, a company that is developing a product that promises to help bees survive an illness that has been wiping out colonies across the world.

Creve Coeur-based Monsanto, the world's largest seed company, did not disclose the terms of the sale.

Beeologics, a research company founded in 2007 with headquarters in Florida and Israel, has developed a product called Remembee, which is an anti-viral agent that the company's researchers believe could stem the impact of colony collapse disorder. The mysterious disorder has decimated honeybee populations around the globe, with far-reaching implications for agriculture.

"While the investment is an enabling technology for us, we're absolutely committed to Beeologics' existing work," explained Kelly Powers, a Monsanto spokesperson. "I don't need to tell you how important bees are to farmers who rely on pollination, and Remembee has great promise, pending approvals."

Remembee is still subject to further trials, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing Remembee for approval, Powers noted.

Remembee, according to Beeologics' website, utilizes RNA interference, a mechanism that blocks gene expression. The company claims that the agent has proved effective in mitigating the effects of a virus that may be linked to the disorder.

Bees are the "workhorses" of agriculture, pollinating everything from almonds to alfalfa, and an estimated $14 billion in American crops rely on bees for pollination. Since the disorder was first reported in late 2006, it has been confounding scientists who have blamed everything from mites to pesticides to travel-related stress. Bee colonies are shipped around the country, from field to field, for pollination. In recent years, partly because of colony collapse disorder, farmers have been paying increasingly high rates for pollination via rented hives.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/19f6f7b2-1c8a-50f8-b84f-47c351ec044d.html#ixzz1ZwEz5LoO

http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles09/images/colony-collapse-disorder2.jpgMonsanto Co. announced Wednesday that it had bought Beeologics, a company that is... more

JanforGore
added this
1 year ago
|
18 comments

Get Your Digital Diddle On: It’s Only Natural

Birds do it, bees do it, even perverts in the trees do it. Let’s do it,... more

VanFullOfCandy
added this
1 year ago
|
4 comments

EU court rules on GMO contamination opens door to biotech liability

On Sept. 6, the European Union’s top court paved the way for farmers and... more

JanforGore
added this
1 year ago
|
10 comments

95-Year-Old Man Stung Nearly 500 Times By Bees

|_ABC7_Los_Angeles-082511-top1-8326538 ABC/Los Angeles... Bees attack... more

EthicalVegan
added this
1 year ago
|
1 comment

WHACKO-TV THE RISKY GARDENER

With the economy being as bad as it is, many people are planting gardens to harvest... more

dwightdouglas
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

The Vanishing of The Bees

Synopsis Honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing across the planet, literally... more

covelogibbs
added this
1 year ago
|
1 comment

Anonymous - Operation 'Green Rights' : kill Bayer

To The Bayer AG Corporation:............. Anonymous sees your crimes and will not let... more

worrg
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Really REALLY organic raspberries (hey, I found all the bees!)

Anyway, I remember a few years ago, everyone was freaking out, like, “where have... more

hoosierdaddy
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Is the Cellphone Killing the Honeybee?

Pity the poor honeybee. Since 2003, bee colonies around the globe have declining at an... more

Pfailblog
added this
2 years ago
|
1 comment

Why a mobile phone ring may make bees buzz off: Insects infuriated by handset signals

Signals from mobile phones could be partly to blame for the mysterious deaths of... more

unimatrix0
added this
2 years ago
|
5 comments

Commercial Bee Farms Feed GM High Fructose Corn Syrup to Bees!

A quick premise for the people that do not know who Monsanto is and what is high... more

lookatmypix
added this
2 years ago
|
5 comments

Honeybees "entombing" hives to protect themselves against pesticides

Honeybees are taking emergency measures to protect their hives from pesticides, in an extraordinary example of the natural world adapting swiftly to our depredations, according to a prominent bee expert.

Scientists have found numerous examples of a new phenomenon – bees "entombing" or sealing up hive cells full of pollen to put them out of use, and protect the rest of the hive from their contents. The pollen stored in the sealed-up cells has been found to contain dramatically higher levels of pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals than the pollen stored in neighbouring cells, which is used to feed growing young bees.

"This is a novel finding, and very striking. The implication is that the bees are sensing [pesticides] and actually sealing it off. They are recognising that something is wrong with the pollen and encapsulating it," said Jeff Pettis, an entomologist with the US Department of Agriculture. "Bees would not normally seal off pollen."

But the bees' last-ditch efforts to save themselves appear to be unsuccessful – the entombing behaviour is found in many hives that subsequently die off, according to Pettis. "The presence of entombing is the biggest single predictor of colony loss. It's a defence mechanism that has failed." These colonies were likely to already be in trouble, and their death could be attributed to a mix of factors in addition to pesticides, he added.

Bees are also sealing off pollen that contains substances used by beekeepers to control pests such as the varroa mite, another factor in the widespread decline of bee populations. These substances may also be harmful to bees, Pettis said. "Beekeepers - and I am one – need to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask what we are doing," he said. "Certainly [the products] have effects on bees. It's a balancing act – if you do not control the parasite, bees die. If you control the parasite, bees will live but there are side-effects. This has to be managed."

The decline of bee populations has become an increasing concern in recent years. "Colony collapse disorder", the name given to the unexplained death of bee colonies, is affecting hives around the world. Scientists say there are likely to be numerous reasons for the die-off, ranging from agricultural pesticides to bee pests and diseases, pollution, and intensive farming, which reduces bee habitat and replaces multiple food sources with single, less nutritious, sources. Globalisation may also be a factor, as it spreads bee diseases around the world, and some measures taken to halt the deaths – such as massing bees in huge super-hives – can actually contribute to the problem, according to a recent study by the United Nations.

The loss of pollinators could have severe effects on agriculture, scientists have warned.

continuedHoneybees are taking emergency measures to protect their hives from pesticides, in an... more

JanforGore
added this
2 years ago
|
68 comments

Its that time of the year to make a bumblebee nest!!

Follow the link to see these easy steps to create a bumblebee nest for your own back... more

mark438
added this
2 years ago
|
6 comments

EU beekeepers stage win against GM crop producers

The EU's highest court may classify honey containing traces of genetically modified material as "food produced" from modified plants. Such a ruling may enable beekeepers with hives close to GM crops to seek damages.

Beekeepers with hives close to fields of Monsanto genetically modified maize can't sell their honey in the European Union without regulatory approval, an adviser to the European Court of Justice has said.

The presence in honey "even of a minute quantity of pollen" from the maize is reason enough to restrict its sale, Advocate General Yves Bot told the court last week.

Damage claim

"Food containing material from a genetically modified plant, whether that material is included intentionally or not, must always be regarded as 'food produced' from modified plants," said Bot. Acting as an independent adviser to the court, he was tasked with suggesting a ruling, based on previous EU decisions. If the EU tribunal follows Bot's advice, which it is expected to do, the ruling could have consequences across the bloc.

This would be a huge success for "anyone wanting to prevent food and animal feed from being more and more contaminated with genetically modified material," said Achim Willand, a lawyer representing food producers. "Beekeepers are especially susceptible because bees collect the pollen of GM plants within a radius of three to five kilometers," he told Deutsche Welle.

Monsanto's genetically modified corn type MON 810 has not been authorized for sale on the European food market. If new regulations are established, making it impossible for beekeepers to sell their product because it has been contaminated by pollen from MON 810 crops, the beekeepers may be able to claim damages from Monsanto.

Zero tolerance policy

"Yves Bot didn't use the word, but the opinion basically translates into a zero tolerance policy," said Thomas Radetzki, an advocate for German beekeepers against genetic engineering in agriculture. "It would mean that any produce with even the slightest trace of genetically modified crop would become a GM food product, with all the consequences."

cont.The EU's highest court may classify honey containing traces of genetically... more

JanforGore
added this
2 years ago
|
4 comments

The Bee phenomenon, global warming, whale beaching...possible explanation!

see 19:00 thru 26:00

Earthwalker
added this
2 years ago
|
0 comments

Experts see major weaknesses in USDA review of GM alfalfa/"GM alfalfa will be everywhere"

A major battle over Roundup Ready (RR) genetically modified alfalfa has emerged... more

JanforGore
added this
2 years ago
|
4 comments

How Important Are Honey Bees? Was (Fake) Einstein Right?

There is a famous quote about honey bees, attributed to Einstein, that goes:... more

jjprojects
added this
2 years ago
|
0 comments

Wearable Garden Creates Food For Hungry Bees

The Pollinator Frocks Project is a limited edition collection of clothing based on... more

bethbot
added this
2 years ago
|
0 comments

Do Bees do a better Democracy then us?

On bees and democracy, interesting observation.

Vierotchka
added this
2 years ago
|
17 comments

select your country

Community Spotlight

TAGS

tagged w/ Bees

top videos

find current on tv

find current online

recent comments

© 2013 Current TV, LLC All Rights Reserved

the basics

follow us online

tools

stay in touch

© 2013 Current TV, LLC
All Rights Reserved