Where have all the Bees gone?

Dr. Moody · 26 Apr 2007, 12:35

Saw this on another forum thought you might be interested.......

It seems that bees are disappearing which is not a good thing considering we need them for pollination.

So, here's a quote from Albert Einstein. He said, if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination. No more plants. No more animals. No more man. Well, guess what? The bees are disappearing in massive numbers all around the world. And if you think I'm being alarmist, and that, "Oh, they'll figure out some way to pollinate the plants." No, they've tried.

For a lot of what we eat, only bees work. And they're not working. They're gone. It's called "colony collapse disorder," when the hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear and all that's left are a few queens and some immature workers. Like when a party winds down at Elton John's house.

But, I think we are the ones suffering from colony collapse disorder. Because, although nobody really knows for sure what's killing the bees, it's not Al Qaeda, and it's not God doing some of his Old Testament shtick. It's us. It could be from pesticides or genetically-modified food or global warming, or the high fructose corn syrup we started to feed them.

Recently, it was discovered that bees won't fly near cell phones. The electromagnetic signals they emit might screw up the bees' navigation system, knocking them out of the sky. So, thanks, big mouth guy in line at Starbucks. You just killed us.

It's nature's way of saying, "Can you hear me now?"

Additional links:

http://washingtontimes.com/functions/pr ... 5431-9594r

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article. ... hMyst11213

http://scienceblogs.com/islandofdoubt/2007/04/
bees_cell_phone_iraq_and_skept.php

scotty · 26 Apr 2007, 12:41

I bet I get the blame

hallucienate · 26 Apr 2007, 13:06

They're all hanging out in the tree outside my front door.

Ozpat · 26 Apr 2007, 13:28

Sad....

Carpathian Psychonaut · 26 Apr 2007, 14:26

It's a shame we can't find something to help bees (natures fluffy hippies) and get shot of wasps (nasty evil b'stards).

Got stung 14 times in the face by the little stripe-arsed ones when I was a kid that left me out cold and not very well for a while.

Bees, on the other hand, I don't mind at all......

26 Apr 2007, 15:27

Having been stung by both, a single sting from a honey-bee is a fu'ck of a lot worse than a single wasp-sting.

However, a wasp is far more likely to sting...

Having said that, re: the original post:

The quote from Einstein is doubtful; people put words in the mouths of the famous all the time. (snopes) Also, Einstein was a physicist, not a biologist, so even if he did say it, he was pontificating outside his area of expertise.

The cell-phone thing is a misrepresentation (by The Independent) of the actual research. And the spread of this colony collapse disorder seems to match the spread of an unknown disease, rather than environmental factors.

The fact that bee numbers is declining (quite drastically in some cases) cannot be denied, but we don't know why. It's premature to blame any particular cause.

Obviousman · 26 Apr 2007, 15:28

Haven't we done this last year, or was that wasps

Dark · 26 Apr 2007, 16:27

There was one on my bus this afternoon.. scared the s**t out of a few of us. I think someone killed it when it flew to the other side later.

That's probably where they're going.

Dr. Moody · 26 Apr 2007, 16:36

Think your probably right about the Einstein quote,
as I said at the top found it on another forum

I was using Blast's "Heartland bullshat detector" theory, I can sleep better now thanks honey.

26 Apr 2007, 16:39

Dark wrote:There was one on my bus this afternoon.. scared the s**t out of a few of us. I think someone killed it when it flew to the other side later.

That's probably where they're going.

What?
Where your bus was going?
Hope they pay their fares!!

26 Apr 2007, 16:43

Dr. Moody wrote:Think your probably right about the Einstein quote,
as I said at the top found it on another forum
I was using Blast's "Heartland bullshat detector" theory, I can sleep better now thanks honey.

Don't get me wrong, the colony collapse disorder thing is happening. But it seems to be a disease or parasite to blame, nothing humans have done.

Dr. Moody · 26 Apr 2007, 16:48

markfiend wrote:
Dr. Moody wrote:Think your probably right about the Einstein quote,
as I said at the top found it on another forum
I was using Blast's "Heartland bullshat detector" theory, I can sleep better now thanks honey.
Don't get me wrong, the colony collapse disorder thing is happening. But it seems to be a disease or parasite to blame, nothing humans have done.

not getting you wrong at all, a well reasoned answer was given and like you said we dont know the answer yet. Be a fuckin tragedy if all the bees vanished.Couldnt resist using the word honey thats all.

9while9 · 26 Apr 2007, 17:38

markfiend wrote:
Dr. Moody wrote:Think your probably right about the Einstein quote,
as I said at the top found it on another forum
I was using Blast's "Heartland bullshat detector" theory, I can sleep better now thanks honey.
Don't get me wrong, the colony collapse disorder thing is happening. But it seems to be a disease or parasite to blame, nothing humans have done.

I believe the colony collapse disorder is do to

THE KILLER BEES!

christophe · 26 Apr 2007, 18:06

markfiend wrote:The fact that bee numbers is declining (quite drastically in some cases) cannot be denied, but we don't know why. It's premature to blame any particular cause.

That might be but if there is evidence these things have a effect (no matter how small) isnâ€™t it wise to think of an solution to that problem, or at least a alternative.

I have been stung by wasps, bees, â€¦ all sorts of creepy crawlers but I never let that become a trauma. They canâ€™t help the way nature works

and neither can we so no reason to get upset.

spot778 · 26 Apr 2007, 21:01

Quite simply we got it all horribly wrong.

God is a giant bee and The Rapture has started.

All good bees have been (

) recalled and the bad ones sent down.

pray for deliverance

Izzy HaveMercy · 26 Apr 2007, 21:09

I never bee-leave these theories anyway.

Oof.

IZ.

Izzy HaveMercy · 26 Apr 2007, 21:10

Dr. Moody wrote:It seems that bees are disappearing which is not a good thing considering we need them for pollination.

Now where's the BAD part in that?

Get rid of the little feckers so that I can enjoy a normal summer holiday for a change!

only joking...partly

IZ.

boudicca · 27 Apr 2007, 02:25

spot778 wrote:Quite simply we got it all horribly wrong.

God is a giant bee and The Rapture has started.

All good bees have been ( ) recalled and the bad ones sent down.

pray for deliverance

Finally! For years I've been thinking I was the only one who realised this

I am the same way with bees as I am with pigeons, it has to be said

... probably even more so. They're just so... bumbling. And fuuuuuzzzzzyyy!!!

I tried to save a bee's life once, found it in wet grass so I picked it up and put it under a plant pot, but propped up on a big stone so that there was good room for him to fly out once he got his little bee self together again. He looked really knackered

Unfortunately during that night it rained like holyfuck and the pot blew over, when I came out the next morning he was dead

. So I buried him in the flower bed

.

If I get in at the next general election I will deliver MORE BEES FOR BRITAIN, with an eye to an international policy of bee-increase

. Do you know that it takes 12 bees their entire life to make one teaspoon of honey, so use sparingly and make sure you finish your toast if you've put some on. They don't do all that hard work for nothing you know!

I really really do like bees

mik · 27 Apr 2007, 09:03

scotty wrote:I bet I get the blame

It's all your fault, you inconsiderate nerk.
There's plenty of bees in our garden, mainly due them sharing the missus' love of lavender.
You think the Biggin Hill stack of planes waiting to land at Heathrow is something, you ain't seen the melee of bee's trying to get some of that hot pollen action in our front garden.
Also, we 'planted' a load of meadow mix in the back garden a few years back which also attracts a load of our stripy friends.
So while the rest of you will have to suffer the inevitable extinction of mankind, my bee mates will look after me.

Buzz. Buzzzzzzz. Buzzzzzzzzz!!!!

27 Apr 2007, 09:30

We've got a huge lavender bush in our garden and I haven't seen a single bee on it yet this year.

And I love bees too; when I was stung by one I was more upset that the bee died than I was by the agonising pain of the sting. Well, nearly.

Planet Dave · 27 Apr 2007, 10:12

Relax world, there's loads of em in my back garden

What would you rather be or a wasp?

MadameButterfly · 27 Apr 2007, 10:30

spot778 wrote:Quite simply we got it all horribly wrong.

God is a giant bee and The Rapture has started.

All good bees have been ( ) recalled and the bad ones sent down.

pray for deliverance

Quite rightly so, although I'm pondering on the thought about "God is a giant bee"...

No worries HL as this Queen Bee is still alive so there are still workers' doing what should be done!

Oh buzz buzz buzz MB

p.s. If you get what I'm getting at you win a prize!

Spigel · 27 Apr 2007, 12:27

Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzzybee,buzzybee buzz if you like but don't sting me

spot778 · 27 Apr 2007, 15:37

Dunno if I posted this Link before or not.

Quite amusing

boudicca · 27 Apr 2007, 16:07

OH THE BEEMANITY!

Actually I would have liked to see them sting that tw@t to buggery, but rather amusing nonetheless, if it wasn't for the bee-death

See them in that big ball on top of the swing

? Like a single living organism, amazing

. And Maggie Thatcher said there's no such thing as society.