Anyone noticed that bees getting rare?

[SUBMAN1]

This is a very bad thing. Mass starvation is possible here.

-S

[Skybird]

Situation in the US: worse than Germany:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/bu...rssnyt&emc=rss

A Cornell University study has estimated that honeybees annually pollinate more than $14 billion worth of seeds and crops in the United States, mostly fruits, vegetables and nuts. “Every third bite we consume in our diet is dependent on a honeybee to pollinate that food,” said Zac Browning, vice president of the American Beekeeping Federation.
The bee losses are ranging from 30 to 60 percent on the West Coast, with some beekeepers on the East Coast and in Texas reporting losses of more than 70 percent; beekeepers consider a loss of up to 20 percent in the offseason to be normal.

Even the Russians take note of it, calling it a "national tragedy":

http://english.pravda.ru/world/ameri...7-honey_bees-0

[STEED]

I will say this much wasps are getting bigger and more of them. As for the poor old bee I didn't see many last summer.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by STEED

I will say this much wasps are getting bigger and more of them.

You mean one of these? These beasts are not measured in millimeteres, but several centimetres.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Skybird

You mean one of these? These beasts are not measured in millimeteres, but several centimetres.

Not as big as those armoured killing machines. I remember a documentary about those Hornets four of them massacred a whole bee hive.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by STEED

Not as big as those armoured killing machines. I remember a documentary about those Hornets four of them massacred a whole bee hive.

Yes. It was me linking it, maybe two years ago.

[Radtgaeb]

Originally Posted by Skybird

You mean one of these? These beasts are not measured in millimeteres, but several centimetres.

Anyone hear a Lancaster fly by here?

[Heibges]

It's like the plot of a Gunther Grass novel.

My father, god bless his soul, was a beekeeper and very interested in organic gardening, so I know this news would have greatly disturbed him.

Twenty years ago everyone was fretting over the so called 'killer bees'.
Another disaster diverted.

[Heibges]

Originally Posted by waste gate

Twenty years ago everyone was fretting over the so called 'killer bees'.
Another disaster diverted.

Killer Bees...

and Fire Ants!

I remember hearing Leonard Nimoy talk about it on "In Search Of", one Saturday afternoon 25 years ago or so.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by waste gate

Twenty years ago everyone was fretting over the so called 'killer bees'.
Another disaster diverted.

Killer bees apparently make some decent honey, so they are not all bad!

-S

[moose1am]

I noticed the lack of honey bees about 10 years ago in the USA. As a kid I could go out into the yard and see hundreds of honey bees buzzing around the dandelion flowers. I read or heard about the bees disappearing due to a mite of some type. That's when I started to look at the yard and could not find the honey bees anymore. Then last year I noticed a few more bees in my yard. I wonder if the amount of pesticides we spray on our yards to kill the weeds is also killing the bees? Maybe it's the bee mites coming back. Maybe it's a combination of pesticides lowering the bees immunity and the mites that are prevalent that's make the bee population plummet

But I have not heard anything about the killer bee population dropping. It continues to progress northward last I heard. Killer bees can take over a regular bee hive rapidly and pretty soon the entire hive is made up of only killer bees.

Originally Posted by waste gate

Twenty years ago everyone was fretting over the so called 'killer bees'.
Another disaster diverted.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

I hate wasps. A wasp stung me on the neck whilst I slept when I was 6. Not impressed. I like bees, they're more "I wont hurt you if you dont hurt me" - mainly because if they sting you, they die. Ah well XD

[TteFAboB]

Originally Posted by Kapitan_Phillips

I hate wasps. A wasp stung me on the neck whilst I slept when I was 6. Not impressed. I like bees, they're more "I wont hurt you if you dont hurt me" - mainly because if they sting you, they die. Ah well XD

You wish!

I don't like wasps either, even though none has ever stung me. However, at about the same age, 6, 7, 8, whatever, I got stung by your live-and-let-live-because-otherwise-I-die-oh-so-nice-Bee on the left arm...

I can't deny that your neck-stinging wasp going for your arteries, your throat and your spinal nerve has displayed a far greater homicidal intent than my puny little bee who aimed for non-vital tissue. But they sting nonetheless. The kamikazee bastards, they don't even live indeed to see you screaming and crying. Which means they don't do it for sadistic pleasure like wasps who hang around to enjoy your tears. Bees do it out of hate, they want you dead and they're willing to kill themselves to achieve their goal. The only reason I'm still alive is because that was just one little bee, her buddies were too busy elsewhere mass-murdering other children.

They had it coming. They shouldn't have allowed me to live. They knew I'd take revenge. The dish is a little bit cold, but it tastes sweet like honey. Ahhhh. Die bees, die!

Originally Posted by TteFAboB

You wish!

I don't like wasps either, even though none has ever stung me. However, at about the same age, 6, 7, 8, whatever, I got stung by your live-and-let-live-because-otherwise-I-die-oh-so-nice-Bee on the left arm...

I can't deny that your neck-stinging wasp going for your arteries, your throat and your spinal nerve has displayed a far greater homicidal intent than my puny little bee who aimed for non-vital tissue. But they sting nonetheless. The kamikazee bastards, they don't even live indeed to see you screaming and crying. Which means they don't do it for sadistic pleasure like wasps who hang around to enjoy your tears. Bees do it out of hate, they want you dead and they're willing to kill themselves to achieve their goal. The only reason I'm still alive is because that was just one little bee, her buddies were too busy elsewhere mass-murdering other children.

They had it coming. They shouldn't have allowed me to live. They knew I'd take revenge. The dish is a little bit cold, but it tastes sweet like honey. Ahhhh. Die bees, die!

LOL! :rotfl: :rotfl:

I hate those bloody bees, haven't been stung but every time I see one I think its gonna go leeroy jenkins on my ass