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Bees & Beekeeping

Cell phones responsible for bee colony collapse?

17 years ago

This article claims radiation from cell phones inteferes with bees ability to navigate back to their hives.

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2449968.ece

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Comments (22)

tonybeeguy
17 years ago
If that were the case why aren't lost colonies being robbed or invaded by wax moths for a few weeks?
nippersdad
17 years ago
I just finished reading that article too and was wondering about the same point! While pollution of some sort in the honey, wax and pollen might explain why hives are not attacked when there are so few bees in residence, it never explained the lack of bee bodies. This new theory seems to indicate why there are no bodies, but not why nothing else wants the honey, etc. I can't help but think that it must have something to do with a compounding effect of various interacting problems; that they can handle one or two stressors, but not many more.
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bejay9_10
17 years ago
One thought came to my mind about why there are so few bees - especially where winter has been so severe. Bees are by nature cold blooded in relation to other insects. They stick fairly close to the hive on cold days.

With our "unseasonably" cold winter - especially in eastern states, this theory might have merit.

Here in California, I have bees foraging every day - perhaps not as many as a few years ago, but I would blame my own lack of handling - mainly because I'm interested in bee polination rather than expansion of my hives.

I live in a suburban area and prefer not to increase the size of my hives.

In the meantime, I have a lot of them going about their daily tasks without seeming to be hindered/diverted in any way.

Bejay
Konrad___far_north
17 years ago
Why then collapses are more frequent in winter when there is less flying time and nothing to collect?
Konrad
bejay9_10
17 years ago
One theory - (far out as it may seem).

If our bees are becoming integrated with the so called "killer bees" from warmer climates - (Africa/Mexico), we may be dealing with a new strain that have genetic preferences for warmer climates.

Hence, perhaps there is a new strain that is hypersensitive to cold, and we are now witnessing a flight to the warmer climates during winter months - Could we call them "snow bees?"

Just my 2 c's.

We have lots of cell phone activity in our community.

Bejay
nippersdad
17 years ago
Snow bees! That's funny! But the africanized bees have yet to reach much of the eastern seaboard...I think that I heard that they were just starting to get into southern Alabama. It wouldn't explain the collapses east and north of there.
txbeeguy
17 years ago
> africanized bees have yet to reach...

http://ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=6

The CCD problem vs. cell phone thing is interesting since colony collapse had been noticed (albeit, on a much more limited basis) as far back as the late 1800s. And while you might argue that Mr. A. Bell was ahead of his time, he most assuredly didn't have a cell phone available.

If it turns out the scale of loss is as great as first appears due to the so called CCD, I think it's likely a "tipping point" has been reached with the honeybees. I don't completely discount the possibility of a single/sole pathogen but I'm personally betting on the fact that it's more likely multiple source problems.
bejay9_10
17 years ago
Could it be that the introduction of the "killer bees" is saving our southern bee population from possible extinction here?

Also a thought - folks in California seem to be listening to a lot of warnings about "chemicals, pesticides and herbicides." Could they also be a factor perhaps?.

Just another 2 c's.

Bejay
nippersdad
17 years ago
Hello:
txbeeguy, I couldn't pull up your article (I guess my new and improved internet connection is not as improved as I had hoped), anyway, where did it say the killer bees were now? Also, the article on cell phones in the Guardian cited electrical fields as having been known to disrupt bee activities for some time. The cell phone thing is apparently just a new take on what appears to be an old phenomenon.
Mike
txbeeguy
17 years ago
Go to:

http://ars.usda.gov/Research

And then enter in their search box the words, "ahb map" (without the quotes).
You will find the map in the first article/link listed on that page.
The map is as of January 2007 and doesn't show any AHB in MS, AL or GA (yet).
nippersdad
17 years ago
Hello:
Thanks for the link, txbeeguy! I could have sworn that I had heard that they had been sighted in L.A. (lower Alabama)...Mobile or somewhere. Pleased to see that I was wrong!
Mike
txbeeguy
17 years ago
...Give 'em time.
russh_nepa
17 years ago
I'm just a hobby beekeeper with a couple of backyard hives. I haven't read all the research regarding CCD. Is this just a northern phenomenum? Are you saying that southern hives haven't experienced these disappearances?
jean001
17 years ago
For up-to-date info re CCD, got to the web site of the CCD Working Group at Penn State.

http://www.ento.psu.edu/MAAREC/pressReleases/ColonyCollapseDisorderWG.html

Here is a link that might be useful: CCD Working Group at Penn State
ccrb1
17 years ago
It was pretty funny when Stern or Spiegel criticizes The Independent (who published the cell phone story, and who no one in England takes seriously) of bad journalism...
triple_b
16 years ago
We had a big die-off or disappearance or 'something' of bees over the winter, in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Mites and other various reasons.
It also seems everybody and their dog is packing a cellphone. I just know in my gut that all those radio waves have to affect SOMETHING. They are also dumping 'treated effluent' into Okanagan lake and wondering why we are getting fish die-off too. Duh.
greenbeard
16 years ago
I don't see how cellphones (harmful as they are) are killing bees because the insects are vanishing from huge areas of farmland that are to a large part uninhabited so not many people using them there! Chemtrails I believe are to blame because they block the full sunlight and bees need sun as a navigation tool and failing full sun they use uv rays, which are also being blocked by chemtrails! Chemtrails are being sprayed all over the countries where the bees are vanishing!
triple_b
16 years ago
I am a newbie here in this forum and by no means a bee expert. I just feel that we cannot keep sending all those extra radio waves into the air with impunity. Whether it is bees or some other life form that is being affected.

And what with the price of gasoline (DON'T get me started on that!) and other insults to the earth and humanity by the hands of our fellow man I am thinking that the Amish and Hutterite communities got it going on. (I like horses better anyway).
ccrb1
16 years ago
That's just like people who were darn sure cell phones were causing brain cancer. Finally disproven, they look to other crises to pin on cell phones. CCD for occurred in the 1890s.
duanepoland
11 years ago
A teacher, or the prison, more and more ares are considering the legal use of cell phone jammers, it has been a necessity of our daily life, I have got one from http://www.jammerall.com/ for my family. so if you want to get one, you can go and visit it for more details. share with you!
Charlie
11 years ago
I think that the cell phone theory can be easily tested. Establish an area with bees and plenty of blooms, no pesticides, good hygiene, good care, and place emitting cell phones in the area. Monitor the bees with cameras and do hive counts. If most find their way home, theory is not true. If most get lost, may be something to it.
collinw
11 years ago
Multiple studies have linked CCD to Neonicotinoids.

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