Writhing bee - Why, I wonder - Apis mellifera

Moved

Moved from Frass.

… Ron Hemberger, 25 August, 2007 - 9:42am

I Really Hate To See

I really hate to see this one go, Ron. I've had it bookmarked for quite some time now.

… Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, 25 August, 2007 - 4:04am

It's baaaaack!

I'd waffled on this one.

… Ron Hemberger, 25 August, 2007 - 9:41am

Frassed

Moved from Honey Bee.

… Ron Hemberger, 20 August, 2007 - 11:15pm

Parasite?

I doubt that the other Hymenoptera have to do with the condition of this bee.
I noticed that small, reddish object on the bee's thorax - is that a mite, tucked between the legs? If it is - might that be a bee mite (the "varroa mite")? I don't know if writhing is a symptom of a bee parasitized with this "killer mite". This article talks a bit about the various hive mites...
That aside, I've been reading that Honey bees all over North America are facing a crisis. This article stated that in Ontario alone, some beekeepers have suffered 90% losses over the course of this winter, from some unexplained phenomenon. I wonder what is happening...

… Stephen Luk, 5 April, 2007 - 11:26pm

Interesting stuff; thanks.

Note: I'm not sure what kind of bee this is.

On the other side of the honey bee coin, these eurobees have displaced and are displacing species of native bees. Ultimately, that causes concern over the disappearance native plants, which are already hard pressed by invasive imports. (You should see what thistle has done in parts of Southern California - ugly!)

It's all amazingly complex, and I guess that's one of the reasons it's so fascinating.

… Ron Hemberger, 6 April, 2007 - 12:59am

Fascinating indeed

I've never been to California, but I can imagine how it'd be like with thistles on the loose! Imported plants of all kinds, displacement of native species, introduction of "biological control" species ... blows my mind away!

PS. Yes, I forgot about the whole native/introduced honeybee situation ... Does anybody know whether or not the "eurobees" are being affected by the collapse as well?

… Stephen Luk, 6 April, 2007 - 1:14am

Colony Collapse Disorder

I, too, am wondering what is happening. I wish there was a forum page about this here on Bugguide.net that people from all over the country could post information they have about the phenomenon. Would something like this be appropriate?

… Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, 6 April, 2007 - 12:24am

CCD

I found a Discovery Channel video that discusses CCD and the actions that researchers are taking to crack the mystery. It's a bit long, so may take a while to load. But, I found it interesting and thought I might share it here. The video may be viewed by clicking this link, clicking News by Subject at the bottom of the categories list, then Animal News at the top, and scrolling about a dozen videos down to "Honey Bee Killer Hunted (5/15)".

… Stephen Luk, 13 July, 2007 - 10:25am

Sure, why not start one?

I'm sure there are other people with an interest and am fairly certain Chuck Entz is among them. He's made detailed and informed comments on bees on several posts.

… Ron Hemberger, 6 April, 2007 - 12:53am

I agree

This is a topic which we should be very concerned about ... as insect enthusiasts, we can see its great economic impact. Among insects, few species match up with the Honeybee in being benefactors to humans, and as the articles reflected, the beekeeping industry is only one of many industries that will suffer from the uncontrolled, drastic decline in honeybee numbers.
Theories have been made to support the cause(s) of this event, with the bee mites being a major contributor. I think a discussion would definitely raise many thoughts and further questions about this controversial, nations-wide phenomenon.

… Stephen Luk, 6 April, 2007 - 1:06am

I would be more willing to be

I would be more willing to bet it's due to overuse of insecticides or maybe even *gasp* GM plants... maybe putting Bacillus thuringiensis in our crops could have unforeseen consequences... we've had Varroa mites for a while now and it seems strange that they would suddenly start killing en masse... ... ...

... ... or maybe it's the terrorists... eek!

… Joe, Entomologist (in training), 6 April, 2007 - 1:15am

Be careful with what you say!

We have at least two sci-fi writers in our midst. Anything you suggest here may someday be a movie of the week. Double eek!

… Ron Hemberger, 6 April, 2007 - 1:23am

Movie Of The Week

Yes, a movie of the week or leading next weeks nightly news!

… Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, 6 April, 2007 - 9:53pm

Can't say I am unhappy to see

Can't say I am unhappy to see a dying honey bee.

… Gordon C. Snelling, 6 April, 2007 - 10:42pm

Are you serious?

Gordon, are you serious?

...

Has anyone heard the cell phone cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) theory yet? I recently heard that German scientists are studying to see if cell phones (and presumably cell phone towers) are the cause of CCD.

From an HSI e-Alert: "A study from Germany’s Landau University suggests that cell phones may be interfering with bees’ navigation abilities. In the study, cell handsets placed near hives caused returning bees to avoid their hives. Further studies are needed to determine if widespread cell use has the same effect as individual handsets used in the vicinity of bee colonies."

This is odd, but interesting ... and plausible. I've heard before how the electro-magnetic "waste" given off from the abundance of our technology can interfere with wildlife migration, so it will be interesting to see the results of this study.

… J.D. Roberts, 24 April, 2007 - 10:52am

Yes I am serious but this is

Yes I am serious but this is not the place to get into why. The study mentioned here has been the subject of much debate on the entomol-l listserv. Apparently though the article does not accurately reflect the actual research undertaken.

… Gordon C. Snelling, 24 April, 2007 - 6:53pm

I couldn't tell if you were serious or joking. I tried accessing the Entomo-L archives, but the site was unavailable. I'd be very interested to find out why you are not unhappy about a honey bee dying. If you want, you can drop me an email (EntoManATGmailDotcom). If you'd rather not, no hard feelings. I'm just curious about your statement, I have no interest in debate whatsoever.
Cheers!

… J.D. Roberts, 24 April, 2007 - 8:11pm

Yes, odd and interesting indeed...

but not that surprising actually, considering that many species can sense their environment in wavelengths outside of that which is visible to humans. I'm sure many more species are affected than we are aware, simply because of this!

… Stephen Luk, 24 April, 2007 - 12:07pm