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UW asks, where have all the bees gone?

April 24, 2012 @ 7:03 pm (Updated: 5:18 pm - 4/25/12 )

Pesticides, extreme weather and environmental changes have been blamed for a decline in the world's prime pollination population - bees.

University of Washington scientists have a plan to monitor the local bee population that involves Seattle p-patches. They want gardeners to grow and monitor specially selected tomato plants.

Bee

AP file photo

"Citizen scientists" will performing experiments and collecting data to help researchers track the number and diversity of native bee populations around the Seattle area. What are the environmental influences on local bees? The UW believes it will find out through this project. If you're interested, buzz over to their website .

Although honeybees get most of the attention when scientists talk about "colony collapse disorder," they're not the only bees in danger, according to the UW. The bumble bee population is also plummeting.

About one-third of what we eat depends on bees for pollination. During the winter of 2006-2007, some beekeepers began to report unusually high losses - at least 30 percent of their hives. As many as 50 percent of all affected colonies demonstrated symptoms inconsistent with any known causes of honeybee death.

The most recent U.S. Agriculture Department research from 2009 shows honey bee colony losses nationwide were approximately 29 percent.

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (10)


  • Add A Comment

  • CH wrote...
    Bee traps? South for the winter? . . . .
    April 24, 2012 6:58 pm
    "colony collapse disorder" sounds like the 2012 elections.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    wish it were 'gone to flowers, everyone'
    April 24, 2012 7:05 pm
    but this has been a serious problem for several years now, to the point of growers and orchardists resorting to Mason bees and other means. .. This is not a joke. Unless we really want our plant foods to be nothing but wheat and rye, we had best figure this one out.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Monsanto
    April 24, 2012 9:40 pm
    and genetically modified plants.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    My big Bumble Bee hive only has a few bees in it this year.
    April 24, 2012 10:43 pm
    Last year it was really busy. It has been there for many years. Meanwhile we are focused on mining iron ore in space for what?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Country_Dog wrote...
    Next to my barn
    April 25, 2012 6:36 am
    Just look there.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • froggy wrote...
    One third of what we eat...
    April 25, 2012 6:53 am
    is what it says we'll lose if we lose the bees. I suspect that a lot of other creatures eat the same things and if we lose it, they'll lose it and then we'll lose them too. And then we'll have lost a lot more than one third of what we eat. If you think gas lines are bad, wait until we start having food lines.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cubscoutgrad81 wrote...
    Maybe the bees
    April 25, 2012 8:08 am
    went on strike or were outsourced.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • b1202 wrote...
    where have all the bees gone?
    April 25, 2012 9:36 am
    If the bee disappears off of the earth, humans will only have 4 miserable years left to live. Monsanto and cell phones. www.infowars.com wake up
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Oh where, oh where have the honeybees gone.....
    April 25, 2012 11:01 am
    oh where, oh where could they BEE?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • roomtemp wrote...
    Ask Monsanto...
    April 25, 2012 12:25 pm
    Purveyors of poison corn, soybeans, cow growth hormones, and patent holder of pigs...

    Soon they'll probably make a killing off patenting a BT toxin resistant bee.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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