Gmo's And The Plight Of Honey Bees

The article “Hivey Leaguers” discusses problems affecting the bee population in the United States ranging from chemicals and insecticides to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Colony Collapse Disorder occurs when the worker bees disappear from the hives, leaving behind the queen and the nurses to take care of the immature bees. This newly discovered threat to bee populations caused widespread panic in the entomologist community and lead to a race to find the cause, and the relative cure. Though this new disorder was a danger, the real bane of the bees was a much more sinister, and domestic, threat.

The bees never seem to catch a break which is putting the bees under “stress” which is a factor. Furthermore, when they are pollinating all these different plants some are not nutritious as others, for example cucumbers aren’t as healthy as some of the other plants but there is still a demand for them, so the bees still have to work and eventually become unhealthy if they aren’t getting the right nutrients. Another factor is pesticides, which has many different points of view but overall it has come to decided it is not the pesticides themselves that are killing masses of bees but it is lowering their immune system and making it easier for them to get sick, for example with the common parasite Nosema. Nosema is a parasite in the digestive track of the honey bee that attacks the entire hive and can eventually wipe out the whole hive. The effects of the pesticides are ultimately never letting the hives reach their maximum potential, which in the end could render the hives weak and lethargic. There are so many pesticides out there it is hard to tell exactly what component in the pesticide is hurting the bees. It is recently found that the inert ingredients used often to boost the effectiveness of the pesticide are actually more harmful than the actual toxic ingredients

Research areas studying the potential causes for the colony collapse disorder include: effects of pathogens and parasites such as the fungi Nosema and the varroa mite, pesticides such as neonicotinoids, environmental limitations and resource availability. I would like to propose fundraising campaigns here in Illinois for these studies. Most importantly, I believe we can make a difference by simply making the public aware of the issues. I would like to propose a educational campaign that, with your assistance, informs the public and beekeepers about the issue of colony collapse disorder. This campaign will also urge the public to use pesticides wisely and at times other than in the middle of the day when honeybees tend to be foraging and pollinating and to grow pollinator-friendly plants. Thank you for you time. I hope that with your help we can get the larger public to become active in preventing a potential future disaster for our

Genetically modified Organisms (GMO’s) is any organism whose genetics have been modified by means of genetic engineering. The most common genetically modified organism is the food we eat on every day. Nearly 70% of foods on the shelves at your local supermarket are at least 1% genetically modified according to National Geographic. Scientist continue to find new ways to insert genes for specific traits into plant and animal DNA.

Many will argue that Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) are not safe for human consumption, however they are almost inevitable for our everyday food consumption. Some argue that the recent increase in gluten intolerance is caused by GMO foods (Argument against). Other state that the risk to humans by GMO’s is relatively small (The GMO”). The bottom line is what people put into their bodies is a personal choice and a person should be able to easily tell if a product has been genetically modified or not.

If you didn’t know, honeybees are dying rapidly, and it is more serious than you might think. The decline of the honeybee is fairly complicated, as we cannot simply target one cause for the honeybee’s decreasing numbers. The combination of factors includes parasitic mites, Colony Collapse Disorder, harmful pesticides, poor nutrition, and habitat loss, all of which have contributed to the loss of droves of honeybees. This issue much more important than what the attention it is getting implies, as honeybees are an essential part to the agricultural society, and the human race in general. Not only are bees responsible for making honey, but also for pollinating a large portion of crops grown around the world. If we did allow honeybees to disappear,

After the 1990s, the Africanized honey bees started shifting the honey industry in ways unimaginable to farmers. Because of their aggressive behavior, the Africanized honeybees is left alone. However, farmers cannot collect the same amount of honey as they use to. This hurts their business as farmers cannot keep up with the demand for honey. States who are fully colonized with the Africanized honey bee have created educational programs and control practices in efforts to protect people and other animals living in the same area these killer bees inhabit. States like California have spent $3.9 billion dollars on reduction managements and pesticides in order to keep the Africanized honey bee population down. From an environmental standpoint, these bees are pushing the common worker bee to the brink of extinction because of their dominance and overpopulation. Even though these bees change the environment in negative ways, their continuous, quick migration has positive impacts as well. Many Africanized honey bees pollinate flora ten times faster than your regular European worker bee and if tamed it could produce more honey than worker bees. These bees may be known as killer bees, but if we learn to tame them, honey farmers might have a chance at increasing their

“Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides that are known to have acute and chronic effects on honey bees and other pollinator species, and are considered a major factor in overall population declines. Twenty-nine independent scientists conducted a global review of 1,121 independent studies and found overwhelming evidence of pesticides linked to bee declines.”

“There is a strong scientific consensus that bees are exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides in the fields and suffer harm from the doses received, according to a new analysis of all the scientific evidence to date.” (Carrington, 2015). I will argue the idea that the exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticides are one of the key causes of the population declination in bees. According to many studies, neonicotinoid insecticides physically harm bees as they inhibit their nervous system and they can no longer navigate their way home (Fischer et al, 2014). Bees are also crucial for the pollination of many crops around the world, without them, a great percent of our agricultural practices would suffer

Neonicotinoid pesticides are a group of chemicals widely used on farm crops, plants, and trees (1). The concern behind these pesticides is the harmful impact on pollinating insects such as honey bees and bumble bees (1). Neonicotinoids are sprayed onto the plant where they are absorbed by the plant and are transported to all parts of the plant including the pollen (see figure 1) (1). Bees then ingest the pesticide via the pollen; specifically, this is the point where the central nervous system of the bees becomes compromised. A large number of deaths in bees is being used as an argument against the use of neonicotinoids (1).

Imagine, if you will, something that can protect our food from pests. Something that saves our water resources by watering our crops less. Imagine something that allows us to feed more people and grow more food. This, among many other things, is what the GMOs claim to fame is. What actually is a GMO? In recent years the conversation about this topic has increased significantly for good or ill. We hear amazing things about GMOs, all the potential benefits for mankind and our food. Conversely, we hear very negative things about GMOs and how it adversely affects our food and the people eating these foods. What is the truth? What do the facts says, and what is the world doing about GMOs? This paper will discuss what a GMO is, the labeling of GMOs and the controversies surrounding GMOs. These three topics will lead to a better understanding of the GMO debate.

GMOs are genetically modified organisms. They are made by infusing viruses or altering the DNA of cells to produce an organism to the specified design. The process includes taking genes from one species and inserting them into another. GMOs can be made using four steps; using viruses/ bacteria to infect animal/ plant cell with new DNA, coating DNA into tiny metal pellets and firing the m into the cells, injecting the DNA into tiny fertilized eggs with a needle, and using electric shocks to create holes in the membrane and fill the holes with new DNA.

Honeybees are dying and we have to help! Honey Bees are becoming extinct and this could have a major effect on food and, food prices! We could lose cherries, almonds, apples, oranges, and much more! There are many reasons for honey bees becoming extinct, for example “One is poor nutrition…” (Lindsay Lowe) There are already helping for example “...The USDA announced in may…” (2014) “... that it would set aside $4 million for those looking to grow pollinator friendly plants.” you better read on so you can find out more about the honey bees.

2. Relevance: Genetically modified organisms, more commonly known as GMO’s are the topic of many conversations concerning food safety. 3. Credibility Statement: 4. Central Idea: GMO’s are an important part of many people’s lives, and they provide millions with the healthy, nutritional food they need to live.

Jim and Jan Nesti have been in the bee business for years and their bees aren’t dying. To keep their bees safe they had to know what’s killing the bees.