Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, “man would have only four years of life left”.
The die-off happening around the U.S. and some parts of Europe is serious for beekeepers, farmers and all us. Since the 1980s, the number of bees has diminished, but the recent die-offs have been severe. The so-called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been reported from at least 24 states, and the cause is still unknown.
A possible link to cell phone radiation seems possible at an intuitive level. Bees have an uncanny ability to communicate with each other and find their way to stores of yummy nectar and back to the hive. With CCD, the bees seem to get lost and off they fly into oblivion.
This radio interview from Living on Earth (mp3 download) with a apiary expert is fascinating. The story and links for Bees on their Knees are available if you can’t hear the interview.
Other stories…
Mystery Bee Disappearances Sweeping U.S.
From National Geographic
Mysterious Bee Deaths Threaten Agriculture in Arizona
From the Arizona Republic
Spring Mystery
Colonies Suddenly Leave Their Hives; What Does It Mean, and Will Crops Get Pollinated?
From ABC News
What’s happening to the bees?
Suddenly, the bees farmers and growers rely on are vanishing. Researchers are scrambling to find out why. By Moises Velasquez-Manoff in the Christians Science Monitor