[Taliesin]

Is that about right? Can the disappearance of bees bring about the complete downfall of the food-chain, and therefore cause the end of the days for human kind and all other above-sea-level-life?

In the US it seems that about 95% of the bees have disappeared, need to worry?:

BBC NEWS | Americas | Vanishing bees threaten US crops

Question for the religiously inclined: Is it a sign of the coming of the hour?

Question for the politically/economically inclined: Imagine all bees diappeared, would it be possible to replace the bees with humans that would go around with brushes from flower to flower to help in polination?

Taliesin

[JonoMarshall]

Perhaps, but remember that many plants are self-polinating or don't rely on insects at any rate.

Still, tis probably best to look out for the bee as he harvests the most useful natural product known to mankind: Propolis
(It's currently being used with some success to treat alzheimer's and skin cancer.)

Our British Bees are slowly being wiped out by this little mofo:
Save the Plight of the humble British Bee!

Eeek!

[Doofy]

Nobody, so far, knows why.

That's not strictly true. It's the GM crops.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

That's not strictly true. It's the GM crops.

Source? (not another Channel Four infotainment programme please)

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Source?

All over the place. I've been following this for about five years.

Here's a quick hit off Google (just go "GM crop bees" for half a million results):
http://vitalvotes.com/blogs/public_b...ees--6726.aspx

[Taliesin]

Originally Posted by JonoMarshall 

Perhaps, but remember that many plants are self-polinating or don't rely on insects at any rate.

Thanks for the info, didn't know that. Besides, I guess I have made a few mistakes in the original posting: Apparantely the disappearance of bees, mainly in the US but also in a smaller scale in Spain, Poland, Germany and Switzerland is mostly restricted to honey-bees, and not the multitude of other bees.

But on the other hand it seems that honey-bees are the most effective polinators.

It seems that honey-bees and their polination-service are directly or indirectly responsible for about a third of the human foodsources.

So even if they all disappeared and no viable replacement found, two thirds of our food would still be there.

Taliesin

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

All over the place. I've been following this for about five years.

Here's a quick hit off Google (just go "GM crop bees" for half a million results):
Are GM Crops Killing Honeybees?

Woah. That is scary.

And it certainly strengthens the position of all those eco-nutcases and hippie freaks who have been going on the barricades trying to ban import and especially cultivation of GM crops.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Woah. That is scary.

Rather.

Originally Posted by analogika 

And it certainly strengthens the position of all those eco-nutcases and hippie freaks who have been going on the barricades trying to ban import and especially cultivation of GM crops.

I'm 100% behind the banning of GM. MMGW might be a crock, but the hippies got this one right.

[Taliesin]

Is it now an established fact that the major disappearance of the honey-bees in the US, and not so major disappearance in Spain, Germany, Poland and Switzerland, can be linked to genetically modified agriculture and not to new insecticides/pesticides?

Taliesin

[Dakar²]

Obviously we need genetically modified bees to counter the problem.

[el chupacabra]

some more info:

Bt-Corn: What It Is and How It Works

The Bt delta endotoxin was selected because it is highly effective at controlling Lepidoptera larvae, caterpillars. It is during the larval stage when most of the damage by European corn borer occurs. The protein is very selective, generally not harming insects in other orders (such as beetles, flies, bees and wasps). For this reason, GMOs that have the Bt gene are compatible with biological control programs because they harm insect predators and parasitoids much less than broad-spectrum insecticides. The Bt endotoxin is considered safe for humans, other mammals, fish, birds, and the environment because of its selectivity. Bt has been available as a commercial microbial insecticide since the 1960s and is sold under many trade names. These products have an excellent safety record and can be used on many crops until the day of harvest.

Transgenic maize - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also I didnt know GM foods were used that much in europe, and this seems to be happening there too. except italy and one other country. The adults bees are dieing while the young and queen are found in the hives...GM foods should only be targeting larvae if anything.

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by Taliesin 

Is it now an established fact that the major disappearance of the honey-bees in the US, and not so major disappearance in Spain, Germany, Poland and Switzerland, can be linked to genetically modified agriculture and not to new insecticides/pesticides?

Taliesin

"Other reports from Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina indicated that the die-off was widespread. Similar problems have been reported in Spain and Poland."

Bee colony collapse mystery studied

PS I hate GM corn they make me and my family sick, I don't know why

[HackManDan]

Mysterious deaths of bees take broad toll - Los Angeles Times

This article says that there is reason to believe that the cause for the decline is biological; That perhaps there is a pathogen or parasite that bees cannot repel.