New clue found to disappearing honey bees

Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:50 pm » by **domdabears**

Researchers have a new clue to the collapse of honey bee colonies across the country — damage to the bees' internal "factories" that produce proteins. Theories about the cause of bee colony collapse have included viruses, mites, pesticides and fungi.

The new study of sick bees disclosed fragments of ribosomal RNA in their gut, an indication of damage to the ribosomes, which make proteins necessary for life, according to a study in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

RNA, which is made from DNA, is central to protein production.

The sick bees suffered an unusually high number of infections with viruses that attack the ribosomes, the researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.

"If your ribosome is compromised, then you can't respond to pesticides, you can't respond to fungal infections or bacteria or inadequate nutrition because the ribosome is central to the survival of any organism. You need proteins to survive," May R. Berenbaum, head of the department of entomology at Illinois, said in a statement.

The researchers said the varroa mite, which was accidentally introduced to the U.S. in 1986, is a carrier of picorna-like viruses that damage the ribosomes.

The mite may act as a tipping factor leading to ribosome breakdown, the researchers said.

The study was funded by the Department of Agriculture.
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-sc ... ring.Bees/

Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:01 pm » by **Rizze**

The varroa mite... damn I've seen these little things.They are usually white, from what I can recall.
Hard to see as they are so small.They turn red when they suck blood.
I wonder if they can eradicate them with a pesticide, as the bee is so very important.

Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:12 pm » by **Towelie**

According to Wikipedia :hmmm:

, Fluvalinate kills 95% of the mite, although the remaining mite can become immune to it.
Aparently theres a few different measures that can be taken to protect from these mites, id assume, aslong as bee keepers start taking adequate precautions, they should be able to get this under controll.

Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:29 pm » by **Savwafair2012**

SILENCE OF THE BEES

Upload to Disclose.tv

" SAVE THE BEES EAT YOUR HONEY" :banana:

Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:33 pm » by **Rogerrabbit**

savwafair2012 thx for vids ill get to watch them befor bed tonight cheers

bee's ftw!!
like your honey :obsessed:

Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:36 pm » by **Lucidlemondrop**

What particularly disturbs me about these findings is the inablility to fight off the fungi diseases.

I have mentioned this before but will again..........I am very disturbed by the fact that the ground doesn't seem to ever get dry and much of the areas around my city are like marshes, and mushy. This of course enhances fungus growth and it is sometimes effecting the food products.

Last year my whole neighborhood had the tomatoes rot from the inside before they were even ready to be picked.

Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:40 pm » by **Rizze**

towelie wrote:According to Wikipedia , Fluvalinate kills 95% of the mite, although the remaining mite can become immune to it.
Aparently theres a few different measures that can be taken to protect from these mites, id assume, aslong as bee keepers start taking adequate precautions, they should be able to get this under controll.

Good info towelie, thanks for that.
I hope some one benefits from your posting.
Don't know any bee keepers myself, otherwise I would pass this on.
But I assume most of them know this.

It may be those that are opposed to using pesticides, are the root cause, just an assumption of mine.

I guess the trouble starts as the bees move from place to place, they go vast distances I believe.

Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 pm » by **Towelie**

There trying to get people here U.K. to start keeping bees, in bee hives on the roof of there buildings, i saw something on the news a couple of weeks ago about it, apparently bees travel upto 6-7miles so they can be kept even in city centres.

Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:22 pm » by **Lowsix**

I read that the suceptibility to this fungus and particular parasite were a result of letting these bees mix with a modified bee, and that the result was making a honeycomb that was like .5mm smaller than they used to be (or larger, cant remember) due to the differences in the bee breeds, and that this difference in honeycomb size allowed that fungus and parasite to flourish. By either not allowing enough air flow or too much..

Meaning that there was hope if they can get the influx of the organic bees to start mixing back into the population. If i remember correcltly the bad bees came frm commercial farms, where they were modified to increase honey output..

I tried to find the links but cant offhand..

Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:26 pm » by **Seahawk**

The sick bees suffered an unusually high number of infections with viruses that attack the ribosomes, the researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.

"If your ribosome is compromised, then you can't respond to pesticides, you can't respond to fungal infections or bacteria or inadequate nutrition because the ribosome is central to the survival of any organism. You need proteins to survive," May R. Berenbaum, head of the department of entomology at Illinois, said in a statement.

B.A.I.D.S.!!!!