Thursday, May 17, 2007

Requiem for the Honeybee



The massive dying of bee colonies is very disturbing to me! I heard a rumor its cell phones. DUH (obviously I am not a scientist) But what happens when bees try to pollinate a flower grown from a sterile seed created by evil-greedy-Monsanto? How does that work?

CATASTROPHIC BEE COLONY COLLAPSE IS NOT AFFECTING ORGANIC HIVES As previously reported in Organic Bytes (Issue #104), beekeepers in 24 states are experiencing record losses of honeybees. Some states have reported up to 70% disappearances of commercial bee populations. Researchers are struggling to find the causes of this mysterious collapse. A crucial element of this story, missing from reports in the mainstream media, is the fact that organic beekeepers across North America are not experiencing colony collapses. The millions of dying bees are hyper-bred varieties whose hives are regularly fumigated with toxic pesticides by conventional beekeepers attempting to ward off mites. In contrast, organic beekeepers avoid pesticides and toxic chemicals and strive to use techniques that closely emulate the ecology of bees in the wild. Researchers are beginning to link the mass deaths of non-organic bees to pesticide exposure, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the common practice of moving conventional bee hives over long distances.
Organic Consumer Association

Up here in Alaska, I've talked to beekeepers they order a colony from the lower 48 and when the season is over they just let them freeze and die. I also talked to a beekeeper who keeps his bees in a warm place for the winter. He grows apple trees for his bees. It sounds so simple. I love bees, I love honey that the bees make, I use the beeswax in my art because it's organic and smells wonderful. I don't want to see bees go away because we use poisons and genetically modify our food. I am determined to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. For my part I am switching to Organic Produce there is a farm in Oregon that drops ships boxes of produce to my herb and beeswax supplier. I am going to start A compost heap build that bat house I always wanted.
For a good book on the subject of our food supply in North America read: The Food Revolution by John Robbins.

PLEASE HELP SAVE THE BEES