My summer memories consist of being out of school, running in the backyard while my mom is barbecuing, splashing through the sprinkler, and looking around counting all the bees on my mom 's roses. Those are memories I will always have and hold close to my heart, especially now when bees are on their way to one day becoming extinct. It saddens me to think that one day my children or greatgrand children will not be able to link bees with their summer memories. Can you imagine walking into your local grocery store and not seeing your favorite fruits or vegetables? We are on our way to this scenario, but have you ever asked yourself why? Take the time to look at the world around you. Dont just look at what’s there but also realize what is not.
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This loss is about twice as high as what U.S. beekeepers consider economically tolerable. The disappearance of bees is known as colony collapse disorder, and it is still not understood by scientists yet. Dr. Clark Danderson, an associate biology professor at Aquinas, says that typically if the hive is too moist for the bees or if they get sick, the dead bees will be in the hive, but with colony collapse disorder, their bodies are not in the hive. Dr. Clark Danderson believes that the bees are missing due to pesticides, mites, and limiting food source. The problem has gotten to the point where Michigan growers had to ship bees from other states to get their fruit and flowers pollinated.A Michigan beekeeper, Kenneth Hoekstra, reported only four of the ten beehives have survived the winter. Michigan has dropped from 7th to 9th nationally in honey production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's, Michigan’s honey production for 2012 dropped 8.5 percent from …show more content…
The report concluded that the dying bees exhibited convulsions which was typical of neurotoxic exposure. Krupke deducted that there is a definite link between exposure neonicotinoids and dying bees. One of the leading manufacturers of the neonicotinoids, Bayer CropScience chief scientist, David Fischer states that if the pesticides were sprayed then they are harmful for the bees. However, if you apply the product to the soil or to the seed, the residue that is absorbed into the plant is in a safe range. Fischer, also stated that neonicotinoids are found in water, bees drink water and plants use water. The wildflowers near water areas such as lakes, have neonicotinoids in them, and over the course of the season the level of neonicotinoids that these plants contain an alarming amount of pesticides. David Fischer also believes that the major threat to bees is a mite (microscopic arachnids) that punctures the honeybee’s body and feeds on its blood. According to Fischer, eighty percent of the problem is Varroa mites and the viruses that they cause. Some beekeepers suspect that the use of newer pesticides is making bees more vulnerable to the mite. A Michigan State University researcher reports that that Varroa mite uses a chemical camouflage to match its honeybee host. The mite does this because
This loss is about twice as high as what U.S. beekeepers consider economically tolerable. The disappearance of bees is known as colony collapse disorder, and it is still not understood by scientists yet. Dr. Clark Danderson, an associate biology professor at Aquinas, says that typically if the hive is too moist for the bees or if they get sick, the dead bees will be in the hive, but with colony collapse disorder, their bodies are not in the hive. Dr. Clark Danderson believes that the bees are missing due to pesticides, mites, and limiting food source. The problem has gotten to the point where Michigan growers had to ship bees from other states to get their fruit and flowers pollinated.A Michigan beekeeper, Kenneth Hoekstra, reported only four of the ten beehives have survived the winter. Michigan has dropped from 7th to 9th nationally in honey production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's, Michigan’s honey production for 2012 dropped 8.5 percent from …show more content…
The report concluded that the dying bees exhibited convulsions which was typical of neurotoxic exposure. Krupke deducted that there is a definite link between exposure neonicotinoids and dying bees. One of the leading manufacturers of the neonicotinoids, Bayer CropScience chief scientist, David Fischer states that if the pesticides were sprayed then they are harmful for the bees. However, if you apply the product to the soil or to the seed, the residue that is absorbed into the plant is in a safe range. Fischer, also stated that neonicotinoids are found in water, bees drink water and plants use water. The wildflowers near water areas such as lakes, have neonicotinoids in them, and over the course of the season the level of neonicotinoids that these plants contain an alarming amount of pesticides. David Fischer also believes that the major threat to bees is a mite (microscopic arachnids) that punctures the honeybee’s body and feeds on its blood. According to Fischer, eighty percent of the problem is Varroa mites and the viruses that they cause. Some beekeepers suspect that the use of newer pesticides is making bees more vulnerable to the mite. A Michigan State University researcher reports that that Varroa mite uses a chemical camouflage to match its honeybee host. The mite does this because