12 replies to this topic

[Socalfireants]

I've heard some alarming numbers for the loss of bees around the world. Bees going extinct can possibly make the ecosystem collapse completely. 

[Serafine]

There is some serious stuff going on but even if bees vanish entirely other species will jump in and fill the spot (bumblebees already do in many areas). The ecosystem might change if that happens, in some places dramatically, but it will be far from a collapse.

Edited by Serafine, March 10 2017 - 9:16 AM.

[Loops117]

Bees die.

Trees and flowers die.

Ants inhabit dead land and trees.

World taken over by ants.

[Loops117]

But atleast with the bees gone, we can rely on GMO foods since those are so good for us.

[Superant33]

Pollinators across the globe are in trouble. Not just the European honey bee. Honey bees get most of the press (and for good reason), but it has been well documented that pollinators have decreased in numbers throughout the world.

[Canadian anter]

We can GMO a self pollinating food (screw inbreeding)
But yeah this is a serious problem but we need more info on whether it's a disease or something else

[T.C.]

We can GMO a self pollinating food (screw inbreeding)
But yeah this is a serious problem but we need more info on whether it's a disease or something else

From what I have read so far, there is two issues I am currently aware of. Number one would be they believe there is some sort of disease that is messing with bees memory. They have appeared to get lost and disoriented. They land and do not return to the hive. As a person can imagine, the more bees in the hive the better chance of survival, however if many do not return that puts a damper on their success. I personally have observed and watched honey bees lots of times. I noticed these honey bees just sitting on our deck, not doing anything. They just looked confused. All honey bees I believe (Not sure?) return to their hive at night, some did not. They just sat their.  The bee in the picture I took below was one of them.

 

 

Also, another cause for honey bee populations declining is the the climate. If you live in my area, a streak of warm weather, in the 50s and 60s took us by surprise. This year and last year temperatures have been constantly changing. The average for this time of year was, no higher than the 30's and often times it gets in the negatives. However, a quarter way into winter, we seen honey bees about flying. It was supposed to bee a warm week, and it was. However there was no food for them when they awoke. The next few days it got colder and colder and before too long it got back into low 20's. The honey bees, crawl back into their hive to finish out the rest of the winter they thought was over. However they still have 3/4ths of the winter left to go. The week they spent out of the hive, they burnt up alot of their energy flying around. So once they go back into hibernation they no longer have enough energy to make it through and they die in thie hive.

(This was a picture I took during a warm day, and the next day it dropped back into the 30's. These bees were lucky to find some spilled soda, however a majority got stuck in our bags of popcans, and as of this day i use bins rather than bags to avoid it. )

 

Edited by T.C., March 10 2017 - 11:10 AM.

[dermy]

There is some serious stuff going on but even if bees vanish entirely other species will jump in and fill the spot (bumblebees already do in many areas). The ecosystem might change if that happens, in some places dramatically, but it will be far from a collapse.

Yeah, but honeybees use sheer number to pollinate with colonies in the 10,000+ bumble bees are usually seasonal, and do not reach the numbers needed to pollinate efficiently.

[Serafine]

There's also strong indications that several pest agents (like Glyphosat) seriously mess up bees. But the bees will most likely go extinct before they stop using it.

Edited by Serafine, March 10 2017 - 11:37 AM.

[Socalfireants]

No organisms could save the bees place. Smithsonian says if bees are gone, society and ecosystem collapse. 

[FSTP]

bumbles are great for green house pollenating when they can be confined to a closed area. But their hives just don't have the numbers to be effective enough for large orchards and similar. 

[Serafine]

Actually bumblebees are already used for pollinating acres. A german professor recently managed to breed bumblebees in captivity (and he is as far as I know the only one capable of doing so). And they have the additional advantage that they can fly at lower temperature and worse weather than bees.

 

bumbles are great for green house pollenating when they can be confined to a closed area. But their hives just don't have the numbers to be effective enough for large orchards and similar. 

But you're forgetting that without the bee competition bumblebees might actually become far more widespread (more nests than before) or even evolve into a way that allows them to create larger nests. Same goes for other pollinating insects like flies - and even ants - that will increase in numbers (unless of course we're poisoning them as well).

[gcsnelling]

Sadly though Bombus species are in terrible decline as well.