New Insight into Cause of Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder

Don't you just LUV deregulation? Our memory is too short to remember that almost nothing was regulated 120 years ago. Regulations were created as a result of massive system failures. But our minds are like sieves, so watch us rush to deregulate and then stand in awe and horror when massive system (bio, econ, etc) failures soon result. wow... Efficient regulation NOT deregulation.

Love, Peace & Soul

The old Honey-Bee dies off, and the more well adapted types continue to thrive and develop into new species.
It is inevitable to prevent their extinction.

Nature, as usual will create balance, and some other cellular, chemical signally controlled life form with some significantly similar attributes physically will come and take its place on This planet.

@DarkFx

Its cute that you think it works like that, but extinction does not always work that simply, and evolution does not move as fast as your statement would suggest.

Also whatever takes the place of the honey bee in Nature may well be useless for the purposes of humans.

Finally if this article is correct then this is not caused by the almighty hand of Nature, but by the unthinking meddling hand of man. Again.

When did any level of government become capable of efficient regulation?

nandrews, you moron.

you cannot regulate viruses out of existence.

Hey Nandrews73,
In addition to your LUV of regulating honey bee immigration, can I assume you are also in favor of regulating human-born viruses carried by human immigrants illegally across national and continental lines?

What did the bee say when he returned to his hive?

"Honey, I'm home!"

mitEj,

The "unthinking meddling hand of man" and the "almighty hand of nature" are, in fact, one and the same. Is man not an animal that evolved just like all of the others? If, say for example, bears were somehow taking actions that were leading to CCD would you make the same comment? It was not nature, but the "unthinking meddling hand of *bears*"? I think not. Separating "man" from nature is no less egotistical and misguided than geocentricity.

Lots of harsh critics upon governments ability to step in and do something. Any logical person would prefer government genetic selection and modification to prevent monopoly bee farmers. Such an intravention from the government will help keep lower prices. Or would you prefer subsidies? I'll guarantee government bees will be cheaper.

I'm all for capitalism.. just not for crop sustaining requirments of natural cost effective polination. We already have GM crop strains which are putting a death grip upon mom and pop establishments. I just wish our corporate taxation system was like UK. Where small businesses pay 21% and bigger corporations pay 28%. It evens out the battle ground between the two.

Government intervention never lowers prices. Three generations ago government intervened to protect Americans from the cost of catastrophic health care. At that time, most middle-income Americans could pay for most care out of pocket. Now try it.

Government is about the santioned use of force, and force doesn't work well in the marketplace, unless of course your goal is to foster monopoly and mediocrity.

Getting back to bees, CCD isn't about viruses - it's about stress. The Varroa mite is everywhere - and it got there despite all the agricultural import restrictions in the world - but where beekeepers practice less intense beekeeping, the bees are healthy despite the ubiquity of the viruses and their vector. The high-pressure beekeeping practices of developed nations have created an opportunity for Third World beekeepers to export honey and other bee products. I just hope the Americans and Europeans don't come to their senses too soon...

http://www.archivale.com

It would seem that nature produced the virus that impairs bees. Perhaps, we have bees that survive these stresses better than others, and will overcome the weaker ones. Undoubtedly there is enough genetic variability for this to occur.

Why don't ALL you Radicals.. BUZZ OFF!