The disappearance of honeybees is not new.
And it was the science magazines who suggested that it was parasites, specifically mites. While they do want to sell magazines, they do use reputable sources. Their source found that a majority of hives had the mites, and IIRC there was a correlation between the mites and the loss of colonies. Perhaps mites accelerate transfer of the virus.
But it's more fun to ridicule "non-science fear mongers", eh? So easy, such fun, and it's nice that hindsight can reinforce our smug superiority.
-V
<strike>ps. I've come to the conclusion that you are a troll. It took me a while, I guess I'm slow. You're not the Common Troll, you hide behind a decent vocabulary, a sweeping awareness of events, a good eye for detail, and the ability to debate well. But underneath all that, you seem to enjoy disagreements and it appears you make jabs in order to get into them. Hmm, I make jabs too, but I don't enjoy disagreements, so... I'm a ... self-loathing troll?? I guess neither one of us are Common. But at least I don't start threads to do it. I'd rather see videos of dogs drinking beer.</strike>
revised ps: While our politics are different, and I think you too easily and frequently lump opposing viewpoints together so you can blame more people, you avoid the adolescent rancor too often seen in many other posters (myself included) -- I have to admire that. Although I disagree with your take on many of the threads you start, you often do bring up interesting topics. (I do still stand behind the "smug superiority" comment, but when I say it I wonder if that's what you want -- which made me use the t-word.)
Quote:I've been catching up on another big problem in the world today, that of the disappearing honey bee. It seems that over the past year, tens of millions of bees have mysteriously vanished from their hives, amounting to a loss of 50 to 90 percent of U.S. colonies.The disappearance of honeybees is not new. (Maybe someone will say that you've been "willfully ignorant".) It was reported in science magazines at least three years ago. At the time, it was just wild bees that were affected, but maybe commercially-controlled bees are affected now and its bigger news, I dunno. I've seen two or three springs now without honeybees in the clover that's everywhere around here. There are bumblebees and yellowjackets, but no honeybees. It is a sad development.
This rules out the guesses from the non-science fear mongers who've suggested genetically modified crops, pesticides, parasites, stress, cell phones, and even divine intervention in the form of a bee rapture.
And it was the science magazines who suggested that it was parasites, specifically mites. While they do want to sell magazines, they do use reputable sources. Their source found that a majority of hives had the mites, and IIRC there was a correlation between the mites and the loss of colonies. Perhaps mites accelerate transfer of the virus.
But it's more fun to ridicule "non-science fear mongers", eh? So easy, such fun, and it's nice that hindsight can reinforce our smug superiority.
-V
<strike>ps. I've come to the conclusion that you are a troll. It took me a while, I guess I'm slow. You're not the Common Troll, you hide behind a decent vocabulary, a sweeping awareness of events, a good eye for detail, and the ability to debate well. But underneath all that, you seem to enjoy disagreements and it appears you make jabs in order to get into them. Hmm, I make jabs too, but I don't enjoy disagreements, so... I'm a ... self-loathing troll?? I guess neither one of us are Common. But at least I don't start threads to do it. I'd rather see videos of dogs drinking beer.</strike>
revised ps: While our politics are different, and I think you too easily and frequently lump opposing viewpoints together so you can blame more people, you avoid the adolescent rancor too often seen in many other posters (myself included) -- I have to admire that. Although I disagree with your take on many of the threads you start, you often do bring up interesting topics. (I do still stand behind the "smug superiority" comment, but when I say it I wonder if that's what you want -- which made me use the t-word.)