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Beekeepers in turmoil ... |
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Colonies of honeybees are dying out in horrifying numbers, and the reason is a bit of a mystery. There doesn't seem to be one single cause. Infections, lack of food, pesticides and breeding - none catastrophic on their own - are having a synergistic effect, pushing bee survival to a lethal tipping point, according to the New Scientist last February.
The important point is that a third of our food relies on bees for pollination.
Both the US and UK report losing a third of their bees last year. Other European countries have seen major disasters: Italy, for example, said it lost nearly half its bees last year. The deaths are now spreading to Asia, with reports in India and suspected cases in China.
But in April this year, a breakthrough in Spain was reported. For the first time, scientists identified a lone parasite - Nosema ceranae - as the cause of bee declines at two professional apiaries. The scientists treated the remaining bees from infected colonies with the antibiotic flumagillin, and reported a complete recovery of those hives.
The loss of honey bees would have drastic worldwide consequences for agriculture and the economy. This breakthrough may be the answer to reversing honey bee declines in the U.S. and Europe.
Find out what's happened to the honeybees in the United States from three beekeepers who we follow in a documentary on the Channel in our climate change season called The Last of the Honeybees.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 December 2009 )
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