Why are so many bees dying?  We all need to know.

This is the story of Bobby the Bumble Bee

This infograph is great for a snapshot, but for those wanting to learn more, keep scrolling down to the bottom because more information below.

Blamed for Bee Collapse, Monsanto Buys Leading Bee Research Firm
By Anthony Gucciardi

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Monsanto, the massive biotechnology company being blamed for contributing to the dwindling bee population, has bought up one of the leading bee collapse research organizations. Recently banned from Poland with one of the primary reasons being that the company’s genetically modified corn may be devastating the dying bee population, it is evident that Monsanto is under serious fire for their role in the downfall of the vital insects. It is therefore quite apparent why Monsanto bought one of the largest bee research firms on the planet.

It can be found in public company reports hosted on mainstream media that Monsanto scooped up the Beeologics firm back in September 2011. During this time the correlation between Monsanto’s GM crops and the bee decline was not explored in the mainstream, and in fact it was hardly touched upon until Polish officials addressed the serious concern amid the monumental ban. Owning a major organization that focuses heavily on the bee collapse and is recognized by the USDA for their mission statement of “restoring bee health and protecting the future of insect pollination” could be very advantageous for Monsanto.

In fact, Beelogics’ company information states that the primary goal of the firm is to study the very collapse disorder that is thought to be a result — at least in part — of Monsanto’s own creations. Their website states:

While its primary goal is to control the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) infection crises, Beeologics’ mission is to become the guardian of bee health worldwide.

What’s more, Beelogics is recognized by the USDA, the USDA-ARS, the media, and ‘leading entomologists’ worldwide. The USDA, of course, has a great relationship with Monsanto. The government agency has gone to great lengths to ensure that Monsanto’s financial gains continue to soar, going as far as to give the company special speed approval for their newest genetically engineered seed varieties. It turns out that Monsanto was not getting quick enough approval for their crops, which have been linked to severe organ damage and other significant health concerns.

Steve Censky, chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association, states it quite plainly. It was a move to help Monsanto and other biotechnology giants squash competition and make profits. After all, who cares about public health?

“It is a concern from a competition standpoint,” Censkysaid in a telephone interview.

It appears that when Monsanto cannot answer for their environmental devastation, they buy up a company that may potentially be their ‘experts’ in denying any such link between their crops and the bee decline.

This article was published at NationofChange at:http://www.nationofchange.org/blamed-bee-collapse-monsanto-buys-leading-bee-research-firm-1334850010. All rights are reserved.

Beekeepers have been taking honey from beehives and replacing with GMO and pesticide laden High Fructose Corn Syrup.  This cheap substitute is more a toxic opposite than a "like" replacement.  Bees expected to live off this nutrient deficient, processed food is like a death sentence to bees.

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It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie — for the past 5 or so years, honeybee populations across the globe have been dying out, and scientists don’t really know why. That is, researchers hope, until now.

A pair of recent studies have pointed to pesticides as the main culprit for Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the term scientists use for sudden declines in bee populations. So where are these pesticides coming from? Right inside the hive itself.

Beekeepers use high-fructose corn syrup to supplement hives decanted of honey; since a great deal of American-grown corn is sprayed with neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides, traceable amounts can often be found in the corn syrup.

A study published last month in the journal Science found that neonicotinoids interfere with honeybee’s ability to find their way home, thus disorienting them and likely contributing to CCD. The most recent study, led by Harvard biologist Chensheng Lu, had similar findings.

Neonicotinoids were only developed in the 1990′s, as an alternative to more harmful pesticides. Unlike their more toxic predecessors, these pesticides, are toxic during the entire growing season. CCD did not become a major issue until after neonicotinoids came into widespread use.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/is-corn-syrup-killing-bees.html#ixzz1sTlwgzkK

Robot Bees Designed To Take Over for Real Dying Bees

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Scientists at the Universities of Sheffield and Sussex in England are designing the first electronic bees in hopes that they can "supplement or replace the shrinking population of honey bees that pollinate essential plant life," according to the tech blog.


The Green Brain Project, as the effort is called, will upload real bees' senses of sight and smell into the tiny robots. Scientists hope these basic cognitive abilities will allow e-bees to detect odors and gases from flowers, just as bees do. The project plans to release the bees in 2015.


Along with making the world safe for pollination, these bees don't sting. That is, unless they get into the wrong hands ...
Watch Robot Bees Replacing Bees Killed by Pesticides

A California beekeepers experience with dangerous increases in colony collapse disorder die off.

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David Bradshaw manages 140 million honeybees
Mon, 2012-06-18 21:09
Cary Blake
 
David Bradshaw sat outside his modest beekeeper shop near Visalia, Calif., early this summer sharing his passion to supply the highest quality bees for crop pollination and a weighty arsenal of concerns which threaten many beekeepers’ livelihoods.

Bradshaw, 55, a second-generation beekeeper and owner of Bradshaw Honey Farm, is the caretaker of about 140 million honey bees housed in about 4,000 colonies (hives). Each colony includes about 35,000 buzzing honey bees per dual wood box.

The farm is considered a medium-to-large operation.

The Bradshaw family business was started by David’s father Howard, 80, in the late 1940s in Hawaii. The elder Bradshaw purchased his first beehive at a Sears Roebuck and Company store.

Bradshaw bees pollinate almonds, plums, kiwis, avocados, alfalfa seed, cherries, pomegranates, blueberries, and olives during the annual spring bloom. Most of the bees pollinate crops within a 10-mile radius of the shop.

The annual California springtime almond pollination ritual is the world’s largest pollination event. “Almond pollination helps beekeepers make it financially from one year to the next,” David Bradshaw said.

For this year’s almond bloom, Bradshaw’s per colony rental price was $135; $20 lower than the average industry price of $155. Bee colony rates ranged this year from $120 per hive to $185 per hive based on a variety of factors.

Bradshaw’s lower cost is based on location, location, location.

“My colony rental price is lower because I don’t travel far,” said the second-generation beekeeper. “I don’t have as many transportation costs so I pass the savings along to my grower customers. I’ve been working with most of my growers for about 35 years.”

Crop pollination bee services generate about 65 percent of Bradshaw’s annual income with the 35 percent balance from honey production.

A major threat to Bradshaw’s financial bottom line is colony collapse disorder (CCD). CCD is a phenomenon first discovered in late 2006 when many worker bees in colonies located mostly in North America left the colonies and never returned.

Bee scientists worldwide have studied the puzzling problem and have not identified the culprit. Many experts believe the bee disappearance could be tied to a virus, the combination of a virus and a fungus, neonicotinoid insecticides, or royal jelly or pollen imported from China.

Bradshaw’s bees disappeared when the North American bee exodus occurred.

“I was stunned,” Bradshaw said. “Some of the bee hives were empty for what appeared to be no apparent reason. The bees left the colony to forage and never returned.”

Normally, Bradshaw loses 10 percent to 15 percent of his bees annually due to a variety of causes. Since CCD, his bee losses have elevated to 30 percent to 70 percent annually. Last year the total loss was 60 percent.

“I’ve lost 2,500 of my 4,000 colonies several years since CCD occurred,” Bradshaw said. Bradshaw says his colonies are valued at about $150 each.

The massive bee losses from CCD have taken heavy personal, mental, and financial tolls on the Bradshaw family.

CCD, frugality, foraging

“I’m worn out. Every year I have huge losses and try to rebuild my operation,” Bradshaw said. “So far I’ve been able to provide quality bees to all my customers – either with my own bees or bees I’ve purchased elsewhere. I take it personally if I can’t take care of my customers.”

A call to the banker was inevitable. “For several years Farm Credit West was my best friend.”

Due to CCD, Bradshaw’s net income from bees one year was about $15,000. He has considered throwing in the towel.

“I’ve gotten close, but beekeeping is what I’ve done all my life. Beekeeping is all I know how to do. So far, beekeeping has paid the bills, but it’s been tight.”

Bradshaw feels a strong responsibility to meet the needs of each customer.

A key reason why Bradshaw is financially alive today is frugalness — keeping his overhead low to weather unexpected events like CCD. His machinery to extract honey from the hives ranges from 30 to 60 years old. Two of the three semi trucks are 20-years-old.

“I have to work smart and cannot live extravagantly,” the 36-year beekeeping veteran said. “I would love to buy new machinery, but I have to choose my battles.”

Another threat to Bradshaw’s wallet is the California Air Resources Board regulation designed to reduce vehicle emissions by replacing the engine or the entire vehicle. He owns a seven-year-old semi truck in addition to the two, 20-year-old trucks.

“I cannot afford to spend $200,000 on new trucks,” Bradshaw said. “The ARB says my trucks are obsolete. It’s an engine issue, but putting more money in a truck than it’s worth does not pencil out. Even my seven-year-old Freightliner with 20,000 miles is obsolete.”

To voice his concerns, Bradshaw testified at several ARB hearings. He does not qualify for funding assistance as the mileage on the trucks is too low.”

Bee foraging is extremely critical to bee health and honey production. Bradshaw trucks bees up to 200 miles to forage. Destinations include Orange Cove for citrus forage, Ventura for avocado forage, Paramount Farms in Lost Hills to forage in pomegranates, the Coalinga area for buckwheat forage, and near Dinkey Creek in the High Sierra foothills for wild forage.

Some farmers and ranchers request a small fee to forage — others do not.

Since foraging builds healthier bees, Bradshaw related a comment shared by a friend. ‘The best thing for bees is diesel smoke.’ The point was that bee colonies should be moved constantly to forage in different areas.

“Keep the bees on wheels and take them to the best places available,” Bradshaw said. “If you have a hive of bees in your backyard, they will starve if never taken out to forage.”

He added, “It is only by the generosity of farmers and ranchers that we’re allowed to place bees on idle land to forage during the off-season. They understand the value of bees.”

About half of Bradshaw’s customers allow him to place bee boxes on land during the off-season. He could use additional areas.

Extracted honey from the Bradshaw operation is sold to the Sue Bee Honey cooperative and delivered to the company’s processing facility in Anaheim, Calif.

Bradshaw says beekeepers and farmers and ranchers have a close, respectful professional relationship.

“It’s a two-way street,” Bradshaw concluded. “Pollination is essential to many crops. Bees are essential for pollination to occur. Beekeepers need the pollination period to generate income. Well-foraged bees can deliver a successful pollination.”

The bottom line is farmers, ranchers, and beekeepers need each other. “My theory is the more we work together the more successful we’ll all be,” Bradshaw said. cblake@farmress.com

Source URL: http://westernfarmpress.com/management/california-beekeeper-driven-passion-pollination- and-quality
Bees work tirelessly to help produce food for us to eat, but we are torching and killing them with pesticides that can be avoided.  Pesticide makers want to continue the practice so farmers are slaves to their poison and GMO seeds. 

Bees are counting on us to stand up to pesticide makers.  Don't allow pesticides on your food.  Who wants poisoned food?  No one!  Tell them to stop it or you won't buy it.
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Click graphic for larger version.
Bees are defenseless against our toxic pesticides and are dying by the millions around the world.
Read a beekeepers story on how colony collapse disorder is killing his bees.
Bees pollinate over 120 foods.
Maryam Henein is a Director documentary Vanishing Bees.   Watch and find out what their investigation uncovered. 
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Click graphic to learn more.

Vanishing of the Bees

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Click graphic to learn more.
Bees and other beneficial insects not only pollinate, but control destructive insects  "Integrated Pest Management" (IPM).  Instead of spraying pesticides, we should make it safe and easy for the insects that help us work.  Not kill them off so we need insect robots.
Just a few of the over 120 foods bees pollinate.
Find out what the top pesticide scientist, Dr. Charles Benbrook has to say about how it's impacting our children and overall health.  Risks from eating them and being exposed in environment.
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Click graphic to go to interview.
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Did you hear about Monsanto's Bee Summit?
Best selling pesticides are under fire from environmental and food activists who say the chemicals are killing off millions of bees. The companies say their pesticides are not the problem
http://www.reuters.com/.../us-usa-bees-idUSBRE94J0MK20130520 
http://www.fastcoexist.com/... 
http://www.stltoday.com/...
1.  Monsanto Holds Bee Summit With Beekeepers | Off The Grid News www.offthegridnews.com/2013/06/25/ monsanto-holds-bee... Cached
Monsanto held a Bee Health Summit to “introduce” the company to beekeepers. Those who have been fighting cold brood and a loss of. queens to Roundup ...
2.  What Really Happened At Monsanto's Bee Conference | Co.Exist ... www.fastcoexist.com/...happened-at- monsantos-bee-conference Cached
What Really Happened At Monsanto's Bee Conference. Monsanto’s chemicals have been partially blamed for the massive bee die-off. So could the company really host an ...
3.  stltoday.com - Monsanto hopes to win over beekeepers with ...
www.stltoday.com/business/local/ monsanto-hopes-to-win... Cached
At the close of Monsanto Co.’s “Bee Health Summit” Thursday, at least a few beekeepers in attendance were still a little incredulous about where they’d just ...
4. Monsanto, Bayer seek answers to bee losses - NBC News.com
www.nbcnews.com/business/monsanto-bayer- seek-answers-bee... Cached
Monsanto is hosting a "Bee Summit." Bayer AG is breaking ground on a "Bee Care Center." And Sygenta AG is funding grants for research into the accelerating ...
5. Attending the Honey Bee Health Summit | Beyond the Rows
monsantoblog.com/.../attending-the- honey-bee-health-summit Cached
Reflection on honey bee health conference hosted by Project Apis m. and the Honey Bee Advisory Council at Monsanto.
6. Controversial Agrichemical Company Monsanto Holds Bee Health ... www.natureworldnews.com/...company- monsanto...bee-health.htm Cached
Controversial agrichemical company Monsanto announced recently the close of the first-ever "Honey Bee Health Summit" held in an effort, according to the company, to ...
7.  Bee Summit | Beyond the Rows
monsantoblog.com/tag/bee-summit Cached
Four recent articles on honey bee health cover a range of subjects – the science behind current research efforts, background on what has been happening with bee ...
8.  Monsanto Hosts Honey Bee Health Summit - Everything PR - The ... everything-pr.com/monsanto-hosts-honey- bee-health-summit/... Cached
Yesterday, Monsanto Company announced having held a “first-of-its-kind” Honey Bee Health Summit to be hosted by Project Apis m. (PAm) and Monsanto’s Honey Bee ...
9.  Monsanto stung by drop in bee population - St. Louis Business ...
www.bizjournals.com/.../monsanto-abuzz- over-bee-summit.html Cached
Monsanto Co., Bayer AG and Syngenta AG are all launching initiatives focused on the declining number of honeybees in the United States, as critics place the blame for ...
10. Honey Bee Health Summit Overview Beeologics www.beeologics.com/honey-bee-health- summit  The Honey Bee Health Summit was held on June 11-13, 2013 in St. Louis, MO at Monsanto’s Chesterfield Village Research Center. A full Summit Summary and Key ...