CCD and Bee Health
Lawsuit Possible for Bayer Crop Sciences Pesticide
German beekeepers demand answers from Bayer Crop Sciences about what they did or did not know about the role of Clothianidin in CCD. Read more. More articles and journals are also reporting on this increasing indication of a a link. Read more.
Italy Follows Germany's Lead
Following the lead of the Germans, Italy suspends use of pesticides from several companies. Read.
New Weapon in the CCD War
From MATR News: University of Montana Bee Researchers Unveil Tool to Chase Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This liquid chromatography proteomics mass spectrometer used on US CCD-victim colonies has identified Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV-1 is a previously identified bee and mite virus in Europe). Although VDV-1 is not yet identified as a causative or contributing factor, the analytical tool used to identify the virus shows great promise in the ability to identify and analyze the peptide sequences (pieces of proteins) that relate to fungi, bacteria, and virii that might affect bees now and in the future. Read the full story.
Update on Pesticides and CCD More than 100 beekeepers from the Southeastern PA region attended Maryann Frazier's lecture on pesticides and their link to CCD on June 24th. The lecture, held at Keeney & Ziegler Apiaries contained a lot of valuable information on links and recent research. Check out the lecture summary.
On a related issue, Germany banned neonicotinoid pesticides this spring (these compounds have been strictly limited in France since the 1990's). This is one of the categories of pesticides that Maryann indicated US Research is also pointing too.
Great Britain Reports Staggering Colony Losses
Bloomberg published this article that cites that one third of the hives across the UK were lost this past winter. Read more.
Honeybees in Paris
City hives are increasing as CCD ravages the countryside. The lack of pesticides in the city is helping to ensure the well-being of the bees. However, critics claim it isn't enough as the pollination is needed in the countryside if our food crops are to be secured. Read more.