Honeybee Disease Spreads To Bumblebees

[dustdevil]

More bad news for bees:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wir...kness-22583939

[Tom A To]

As a beekeeper, I am familiar with the diseases that honeybees can get. Nowhere in this article does it mention what diseases the bumblebees are getting. Some are worse than others. I think it's another article designed to get your attention so they can sell ad space. The demise of bee population stories are always good for that. I'm surprised they didn't throw in the quote which comes around every so often about how Einstein said we have thirty years to live once the honey bees are gone. He never said such a thing.

[dustdevil]

The article isn't comprehensive, but it has some merit. In one year, all the 100s of thousands of honeybees on the family farm disappeared. I noticed a decline in bumblebees last year. I worry they may be eliminated next...

[Tom A To]

Honeybee populations have ebbed and flowed ever since man starting paying attention. Although CCD is real, it is another in a long line of afflictions to the bees. Like all other insects, you couldn't kill them all if you tried your hardest. As mentioned, news media plays up any report on disappearing bees it runs across in order to sell papers, etc. Nothing like a doomsday scenario to get people's attention. The bees will be here long after we're gone.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by Tom A To

As a beekeeper, I am familiar with the diseases that honeybees can get. Nowhere in this article does it mention what diseases the bumblebees are getting. Some are worse than others. I think it's another article designed to get your attention so they can sell ad space. The demise of bee population stories are always good for that. I'm surprised they didn't throw in the quote which comes around every so often about how Einstein said we have thirty years to live once the honey bees are gone. He never said such a thing.

Well said.