As most of you have probably heard, there is an issue with honeybees dying off. It has been termed as "
Colony Collapse Disorder."
The PBS program, Nature, recently had a wonderful special on the issue called "Silence of the Bees."
Nature . Honeybees, Colony Collapse Disorder | Silence of the Bees: Introduction | PBS
Quote:
In the winter of 2006, a strange phenomenon fell upon honeybee hives across the country. Without a trace, millions of bees vanished from their hives. A precious pollinator of fruits and vegetables, the disappearing bees left billions of dollars of crops at risk and threatened our food supply. The epidemic set researchers scrambling to discover why honeybees were dying in record numbers — and to stop the epidemic in its tracks before it spread further.
Silence of the Bees is the first in-depth look at the search to uncover what is killing the honeybee. The filmmakers of Bees take viewers around the world to the sites of fallen hives, to high-tech labs, where scientists race to uncover clues, and even deep inside honeybee colonies. Silence of the Bees is the story of a riveting, ongoing investigation to save honeybees from dying out. The film goes beyond the unsolved mystery to tell the story of the honeybee itself, its invaluable impact on our diets and takes a look at what’s at stake if honeybees disappear. Silence of the Bees explores the complex world of the honeybee in crisis and instills in viewers a sense of urgency to learn ways to help these extraordinary animals.
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You can watch the entire program online for free at the following link:
Nature . Silence of the Bees ~ Video: Full Episode | PBS
They even discuss an alternative to pollination at the end of the program should the bees keep dying. Pretty amazing, although a bit different in scope.
The breaking news seems to be a virus from Australian bees which had been imported. Almost like the effect of smallpox on native americans.
Here is a preview:
Let's just say the bees keep dying. While we'd prefer to avoid that, it might happen.
What are your suggestions for alternatives?
What can we do instead?
What are the costs and benefits of your suggestion
