Honeybees

„Saatgut-Beizmittel auf der Basis von Neonicotinoiden haben in den letzten Jahren nachweislich Bienenvölker getötet oder massiv beeinträchtigt, ein Verbot dieser Substanzen zum Schutz der Bienen ist daher dringend notwendig“, fordert Rudi Vierbauch, Obmann von BIO AUSTRIA.

For several years, Tom Theobald, a beekeeper in Boulder, Colo., has been trying to check out his suspicions that a relatively new class of pesticides has been interfering with the normal breeding and development of his stock. The pesticides, based on the chemistry of nicotine, are generically called neonicotinoids. This week Mr. Theobald got reinforcements from two very different quarters. First, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey sent a letter to Lisa P. Jackson, the E.P.A. administrator, that said in part: While large farming operations import managed honeybees for pollination, farmers with smaller, polyculture farms in New Jersey rely heavily on about 350 native species of bees. Alarmingly, several species of bumblebees are believed to have already vanished and next to nothing is known about the health of other native species of bees.

GOWER MP Martin Caton has launched a Parliamentary campaign calling on the UK Government to halt the use of a new generation of pesticides linked to bee deaths until a review has been carried out. He tabled an Early Day Motion, welcoming the decision by Robert Watson, chief scientific advisor at Defra, to initiate a review of all the scientific research relating to bee and other pollinator decline and the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

An der kantonalen Delegiertenversammlung der Bienenzüchtervereine vom Wochenende gab es eine niederschmetternde Nachricht: Im Kanton Zürich haben die Imker im Durchschnitt 60 bis 70 Prozent ihrer Bienen verloren.

Die Verluste der Brandenburger Imker werden auch im zurückliegenden Winter 2010/11 wieder über dem Durchschnitt liegen - wenngleich sich die Situation regional sehr unterschiedlich darstellt. Dieses erste Resümee zieht Lothar Lucke vom Landesimkerverband. "Zehn bis 15 Prozent sind normal, wir werden voraussichtlich bei 20 bis 25 Prozent Verlusten liegen."

Varroa mite is one of the biggest threats to honey bee colonies. A key natural defence for honey bees against Varroa is for the bees to become “hygienic” – this means, the bees are able to groom and remove the mites from larvae and their bodies. In fact, there are currently efforts to breed “Hygienic bees” that are more likely to engage in this crucial grooming behaviour. It is conceivable that neonicotinoid pesticides impair the ability of honey bees to deal effectively with Varroa mite. Watch how the honey bee deals with the Varroa mite once it has been removed.
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/varroa-mite.html

The UK Government is being asked to investigate a possible link between a new generation of pesticides and the decline of honey bees. It is suspected that the chemicals may be impairing the insects' ability to defend themselves against harmful parasites through grooming. The Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, will have to answer a question in the Commons from the former Home Office minister David Hanson about whether the Government will investigate if the effect of neonicotinoids on the grooming behaviour of bees is similar to its effect on termites. The pesticides, neonicotinoids, made by the German agribusiness giant Bayer and rapidly spreading in use, are known to be fatal to termites by damaging their ability to groom themselves and thus remove the spores of harmful fungi.

“The Government must intervene to protect New Zealand honeybees from pesticides that have been implicated in bee deaths,” Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today. The Green Party today launched a nationwide petition calling on the Government to suspend the use of Neonicotinoid pesticides until the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has reassessed them. Neonicotinoid pesticides which have been linked to bee deaths around the globe are widely used in New Zealand on crops and pasture.

The official British government position has been that the neonicotinoid insecticides are safe when used correctly – but Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), has now initiated his own inquiry, The Independent revealed, because of concerns about the alleged effects on bees. However, Defra denied this and states that Bob Watson did not order a government “review” of the safety of neonicotinoid pesticides. The decline in populations of bees and other pollinators remains a major concern, and he asked to receive regular updates on new research into the possible effects on insects which are not the target species of pesticides. Defra had considered all recent research on neonicotinoids, including an as yet unpublished study conducted by US Department of Agriculture researcher, Jeffrey Pettis and a second similar study by Cedric Allaux from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, which suggested that the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, made honey bees more susceptible to disease caused by a parasite, nosema. "We have concluded that the studies do not present any new evidence," the spokesman said. "The UK has a robust system for assessing risks from pesticides and all the evidence shows neonicotinoids do not pose an unacceptable risk when products are used correctly. We will not hesitate to act if presented with any new evidence."