Corn Seed Pesticide Kills Bees

We have been following the Honeybee's mysterious malady for a number of years. The official name for this phenomenon is called Colony Collapse Disorder.  The problem seems to be worldwide.  We received this new information just today. Ion Exchange Inc.

Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 Corn Seed Pesticide Kills Bees

I understand that Germany has banned their use. I wish we would do the same.
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In a message dated 1/5/2012 12:08:05 A.M. Central Standard Time, lhopwood@roadrunner.com writes:
To readers,
Sierra Club's Genetic Engineering Action Team has been following the connection between the honeybee demise and exposure to corn seeds coated with neonicotinoids.
Included here is info about the latest research.
Laurel Hopwood, Chair, Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team

CATCH THE BUZZ - Corn Seed Pesticide Kills Bees
Corn Seed Treatment As Lethal As It Gets For Honey Bees All Season Long, And Long After The Season Is Gone. It Just Keeps On Killing.
by Alan Harman
(EDITED)

Frightening new research shows honey bees are being exposed to deadly neonicotinoid insecticides and several other agricultural pesticides throughout their foraging period. The research, published in the scientific journal PLoS One says extremely high levels of clothianidin and thiamethoxam were found in planter exhaust material produced during the planting of treated maize seed. The work, which could raise new questions about the long-term survival of the honey bee, was conducted by Christian H. Krupke of the Department of Entomology at Purdue University, Brian D. Eitzer of the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Krispn Given of Purdue.

"Neonicotinoids were found in the soil of each field we sampled, including unplanted fields," they report. Dandelions visited by foraging bees growing near these fields were found to contain neonicotinoids as well. "This indicates deposition of neonicotinoids on the flowers, uptake by the root system, or both. Dead bees collected near hive entrances during the spring sampling period were found to contain clothianidin as well."

"These results have implications for a wide range of large-scale annual cropping systems that utilize neonicotinoid seed treatments," the report says. The research was funded by grants from the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and the Managed Pollinator Coordinated Agricultural Project.

Neonicotinoids are persistent. The new report says the half-lives of these compounds in aerobic soil conditions can vary widely, but are best measured in months - 148 - 1,155 days for clothianidin.

Among the largest single uses of these compounds is application to maize seed. Production of maize for food, feed and ethanol production represents the largest single use of arable land in North America, reaching a record
88,216,620 acres in 2010 and is expected to increase. All of the maize seed planted in North America except for 0.2% used in organic production is coated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

Two major compounds are used - clothianidin and thiamethoxam, with the latter metabolized to clothianidin in the insect. The application rates for these compounds range from 0.25 to 1.25 mg/kernel. These compounds are highly toxic to honey bees - a single kernel contains several orders of magnitude of active ingredient more than the published LD50 values for honey bees - defined as the amount of material that will kill 50% of exposed individuals.
In fact, the amount of clothianidin on a single maize seed at the rate of 0.5 mg/kernel contains enough active ingredient to kill more than 80,000 honey bees.

The results prompted researchers to carry out more experiments to determine how honey bees may be gaining exposure to clothianidin and other pesticides commonly applied to either maize seed or to plants later in the season. They collected samples from a variety of potential exposure routes near agricultural fields and analyzed them to determine whether pesticides were present. They sampled soils, pollen both collected by honey bees and directly from plants, dandelion flowers, and dead and healthy bees. They even checked waste products produced during the planting of treated seed. Maize seed is sewn with tractor-drawn planters that use a forced air/vacuum system and a perforated disc to pick up individual seeds and drop them into the planting furrow at the selected spacing. Maize kernels treated with neonicotinoids and other compounds such as fungicides do not flow readily and may stick to one another, causing uneven plant spacing. To overcome this, talc (a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate) is added to seed boxes to reduce friction and stickiness and ensure the smooth flow of seed. Much of the talc is exhausted during planting, either down with the seed or behind the planter and into the air using an exhaust fan. Researchers sampled the waste talc after planting to determine whether this material was contaminated with pesticides abraded from treated seeds. The waste is a mixture of the talc that has been in contact with treated maize kernels and minute pieces of the seeds.

"Soil collected from areas near our test site revealed that neonicotinoid insecticide residues were present in all samples tested, with clothianidin occurring in each field sampled ... These results demonstrate that honey bees living and foraging near agricultural fields are exposed to neonicotinoids and other pesticides through multiple mechanisms throughout the spring and summer ... We show that bees living in these environments will forage for maize pollen and transport pollen containing neonicotinoids to the hive."

The results also showed clothianidin present in the surface soil of fields long after treated seed has been planted. "All soil samples we collected contained clothianidin, even in cases where no treated seed had been planted for two growing seasons," the report says.

During the spring planting period, dust that arises from this soil may land on flowers frequented by bees, or possibly on the insects themselves. Of potentially greater concern are the very high levels of neonicotinoids and fungicides found in the talc that has been exposed to treated seed. "The large areas being planted with neonicotinoid treated seeds, combined with the high persistence of these materials and the mobility of disturbed soil and talc dust, carry potential for effects over an area that may exceed the boundaries of the production fields themselves."

Later in the season, when planting is largely complete, the researchers found bees collect maize pollen that contains translocated neonicotinoids and other pesticides from seed. Translocation of neonicotinoids into pollen has previously been reported for maize grown from imidacloprid-treated seed, but the researchers say the degree to which honey bees in their study gathered maize pollen was surprising. "The finding that bee-collected pollen contained neonicotinoids is of particular concern because of the risks to newly-emerged nurse bees, which must feed upon pollen reserves in the hive immediately following emergence," they say.

"Lethal levels of insecticides in pollen are an obvious concern, but sub-lethal levels are also worthy of study as even slight behavioral effects may impact how affected bees carry out important tasks such as brood rearing, orientation and communication." Also potentially important are the three fungicides found in bee-collected pollen samples - trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin and propiconazole. Azoxystrobin and trifloxystrobin are frequently used in maize seed treatments as protectants and all three are widely applied to maize in North America, even in the absence of disease symptoms. These findings have implications both for honey bees located near these crops year-round, but also for migratory colonies which pollinate crops such as almonds and other fruit and nut crops, the report says.

To read the study, click here:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029268
To read our actions on the honeybee demise, click these five sites:
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2009-11-10.asp
Want to eat? Save the honeybee!
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2009-11-09a.asp
Sierra Club comments on a "neonic" insecticide
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2008-07-30.asp
Sierra Club urges EPA to suspend nicotinyl insecticides
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2007-04-07.asp
USDA, Lobbyists and Bees
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2007-03-21.asp
GE and bee Colony Collapse Disorder -- science needed!

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Native Plant Society. This list is owned and managed by Diana Horton, and sponsored by
the University of Iowa Department of Biology.

Why are Bats Dying?

Just as news of the massive bee die off is fading from the news (although not actually ending), news of mass bat deaths are just starting to hit the headlines. The loss of bats could be an environmental catastrophe, as they are the world's greatest insect eaters -- devouring up to half their weight in insects every day.The epicenter of the bat die-off is New York. Reports started with hikers noticing dead and dying bats littered outside the caves where they hibernate.The loss of bats is now at the point where researchers are expressing fear that an extinction is underway. The ultimate cause is unknown, although the condition has been named White Nose Syndrome, due to the presence of fungus growths on the bats’ noses and faces. The fungus is believed, however, to be only a symptom rather than the underlying problem.Theories for what is causing the bats to die include:
Virus and bacterial infections
Pesticides, either due to the toxins themselves or because they’ve killed off bats’ major food source, mosquitoes and other insectsBat die-off could have a major impact on humanity, including outbreaks of mosquitoes (and their related diseases like West Nile Fever, malaria, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis) and destruction of crops (which could be overtaken by crop-destructive insects).
Sources:
Natural News April 11, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Something is terribly wrong here.Three of the world’s greatest pollinators -- the creatures that are actually responsible for spreading pollen so plants can grow -- are slowly disappearing right before your eyes. First it was the bees. Then the birds. Now the bats. What’s next?The current bat die-off is already being called the most serious threat to North American bats since the beginning of recorded history. In New York, up to 90 percent of the bats hibernating in four caves and mines have died since last winter, and more bats are thought to have died at 15 other New York sites, and also in Massachusetts and Vermont.Biologists believe that up to half a million bats could ultimately be lost, which would have a major impact on the upcoming growing season.Bats are Necessary for Crops to ThriveThe common image of bats acting as pests, flying in your hair or trying to suck your blood are, of course, just myths. One of the biggest fears many have about bats -- rabies -- is also completely unfounded, as bat rabies cause just one human death per year in the United States, according to Bat Conservation International. In reality, bats are a great friend to the environment, helping to pollinate wild plants, disperse fruit seeds, and keep insect populations under control.Bats are also used strategically by organic farmers as a natural means for pest control, as one small bat can eat up to 2,000 mosquitoes in one night. So you can imagine how mosquitoes and other bugs will multiply without bats to keep them in check.Other Pollinators are Also DisappearingAs I said earlier, the problem of disappearing bats is magnified because other North American pollinators, namely birds and bees, are also on the decline.According to a report by the National Audubon Society, for instance, the numbers of some species of birds have plummeted by 60 percent to 80 percent. And as of April 2007, 25 percent of all bee colonies in 27 U.S. states had died. The growing absence of these necessary creatures is signaling a silent alarm bell about the state of our ecosystem. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture is calling it an “impending pollination crisis.”Something is throwing things off balance, and, little by little, nature is dying. Eventually, it will no longer be a gradual occurrence, but rather like when you put a stick into a turning bicycle wheel, everything will abruptly come to a halt, and likely fall.What’s Killing Off the Bees, Birds and Bats?Nobody knows for sure. And my guess is that it is not one thing but rather an accumulation of things such as:
Pesticides and other environmental toxins
Cell phones and information-carrying radio waves
Genetically modified crops In the case of bats, new pesticides that are designed specifically to fight West Nile Virus are also likely culprits. These pesticides kill mosquitoes, and bats need mosquitoes to survive. As a telling sign, bats that have been found dead appeared to have died from starvation, as their fat stores were largely depleted.There is also a sign that something is altering their behavior, as bats have been found flying during the winter and during the day, while they should have been hibernating.Can Life Go on Without the Birds and the Bees (and the Bats)?Not for long, no. One-third of the U.S. food supply is dependent on the pollination from bees alone, and without bats or birds, the food supply as you know it would be long gone.Is there anything you can do?Well, on a local level, yes. I would suggest contacting your town’s city officials to protest spraying the area with pesticides to combat West Nile Virus. Next, if you have a backyard, consider putting up a couple of bat houses, a bird feeder, and a bird bath, then planting some flowers that attract bees, such as:
Basil, rosemary, sage and thyme
Lavender
Geraniums
Sunflowers
Verbena
Zinnias
Bee balm
Cosmos

These are small steps, but no contribution is too small when it comes to our one and only environment.

The Amazing Bee

We at Ion Exchange Inc. have been following the news about the honeybees and the struggle they are going through. I happened upon this article and was just amazed at the capabilities of the this tiny creature. We have also become aware of a documentary being created about the honeybee. Check it out at http://www.vanishingbees.com/
Bee Pollen - A Budget Friendly Food for Health and Healing
by Barbara L. Minton
(NaturalNews) Bee pollen is often referred to as nature’s most complete food. Pollen harvested from a diverse selection of geographic areas contains all the essential components of life in a good tasting, chewable, easily digested, and highly bio-available form that can be consumed by anyone from young children to the very old. All the nutritive and rejuvenating elements contained in expensive, whole food vitamin pills can be found in bee pollen. But since these elements are crafted into the most super of superfoods by nature, they have the added benefits of perfect synergy. Pollen also offers healing, with interesting research studies documenting its medicinal effects.Bees Are LegendaryThe bee was revered and deified in many religious cultures. The Hindu text, Rig-Veda, written in Sanskrit between 2000 and 3000BC, speaks of bees with awe. Vishnu, the powerful preserver and protector of the Hindu trinity, is frequently symbolized by a blue bee sitting on a lotus flower. Kama, the Indian god of love, carries a bow strung with a chain of entwined bees. Cultures worshipping fertility goddesses such as Venus, Diana, Ceres, or Iris, used the bee as a symbol for scared festivities. Next to man, no other living creature has been so highly esteemed by so many diverse cultures.The bee is believed to be over 80 million years old. The Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Talmund, the scrolls of the Orient, and the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans all praised the healing and health properties of foods created by bees. The bee’s nectar is mentioned 68 times in the Bible.The old Caucasus mountaineers used to be beekeepers and knew that the waste matter from bees enhanced health. They would sell their bee products at the market and then eat the leftovers. They exercised every day by working outdoors, got plenty of fresh air, and ate a whole foods diet. Many of them were the same weight they were at age 18, had no disease, and were reported to be over 150 years old.D.C. Jarvis, M.D. and Charles Mraz, a beekeeper in Vermont, searched to find cases of cancer or deaths from cancer among beekeepers. They were unable to find any deaths from cancer. One keeper had Hodgkins disease which he contracted before becoming a beekeeper. He was cured of it once he started his new occupation and began consuming bee products.Pollen is the male seed of flowers. It is essential for the fertilization of most plants. All the varieties of flowers in the universe put forth a dusting of pollen, including the many fruiting agricultural crops. One teaspoon of pollen contains approximately 2.5 billion grains, each of which has the capacity to supply those factors necessary for the fertilization and reproduction of a particular species.As with all species except man, bees seek out and create the most nutritious food to feed to their young. Pollen contains 40% protein, about half of which is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be assimilated and used by the body.The Master Craftsmanship of the BeeGathering pollen is an arduous process. When bees arrive at flowers, they pick out the best pollen from the millions of grains that are present. Then they scrape the powdery loose pollen from the stamen with their jaws and front legs. They moisten the pollen with a sticky substance secreted from their stomachs so it will adhere to their rear legs. The jagged bristles of their rear legs are used to comb the powder from their coats and front legs. The outsides of their tibias form concave areas used as pollen baskets, into which they press their golden deposits. When each of these baskets is fully loaded, the microscopic dust has been tamped down into a single golden granule.Many thousands of chemical analyses of bee pollen have been performed, but there are some elements present in bee pollen that are not yet identifiable. When man-made pollen is fed to young bees, they die, even though all the known nutrients are present in the lab synthesized version. These unknown elements may be the reason why bee pollen is so beneficial to so many diverse health conditions.The Amazing Nutritional Properties of Bee PollenThe Chinese consider pollen to be an energy enhancer and restorative tonic. Cultures around the world use pollen for improving vitality and endurance, aiding recovery from chronic illness, promoting longevity, regulating intestinal functioning, building blood, preventing infection with its antibiotic properties, restoring lost sexual desire and energy, alleviating menstrual cramps, promoting fertility, alleviating depression and fatigue, alleviating migraine headaches, normalizing cholesterol levels, and treating cravings and addictions. There is mounting evidence that pollen can help overcome retardation and other developmental problems in children. Pollen prevents many side effects of radiation treatment and has anti-cancer properties.Pollen is richer in protein than any animal source, and contains more free-form amino acids than beef, eggs or cheese of equal weight. It contains an abundance of pro vitamin A in the form of carotenoids, the B complex vitamins and folate (the natural form of folic acid), vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as a wealth of minerals, enzymes, lecithin, carbohydrates in the form of natural sugars, and fatty acids. The amino acids found in pollen are the most indispensable in our daily diet and cannot be manufactured or synthesized in our bodies. Pollen also contains lecithin, amines, nuclein, guanine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, vernine, waxes, gums, resins, hydrocarbons, sterols, polypeptides, ribose, desoxyribose, hexuronic acid, vegetable oils, and various growth factors.Pollen is superior to both honey and royal jelly, and possesses a similar but more stable composition than that of royal jelly.Researchers at the Institute of Apiculture, Taranov, Russia, report that “honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in nature in a single food. Even if bee pollen had none of its other vital ingredients, its content of rutin (a bioflavonoid) alone would justify taking at least a teaspoon daily, if for no other reason than strengthening capillaries”.Pollen also provides a high content of the immune boosting nucleics RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). RNA and DNA are critical for health and longevity. They are responsible for directing cellular growth, renewal and repair, and deficiencies of them cause premature aging and compromised immunity. RNA-DNA is depleted in the body by exercise, stress, pollution, and poor diet. Replenishing RNA-DNA is critical to every aspect of bodily health and longevity.Research on Bee Pollen Produced Compelling ResultsResearchers have demonstrated that there is a substance in pollen that inhibits the development of numerous harmful bacteria. This antibiotic property is effective against salmonella and other stains of bacteria. Clinical studies have shown a regulatory effect on intestinal function attributable to pollen.Studies with lab animals have shown that ingestion of pollen has a positive affect on blood composition, promoting red and white cell increases. Pollen will raise the level of hemoglobin considerably in those who are anemic.“Delay in Appearance of Palpable Mammary Tumors in C3H Mice Following the Ingestion of Pollenized Food” is the title of an article published back in 1948 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study, led by Dr. William Robinson, began with mice that had been bred to develop and die from tumors. Mice of this strain developed tumors at ages ranging from 18 to 57 weeks, with an average age at appearance of 33 weeks. Tumor incidence was 100%. The pollen used for the study was of “the bee gathered type”. One group of mice was fed mice food only, while another group was fed mice food with the addition of a small amount of pollen.Dr. Robinson reported his dramatic results, “In the untreated mice, mammary tumors appeared as expected at an average of 31.3 weeks. Tumor incidence was 100%. In the treated mice (the ones with the pollen in their food), the average onset of tumors was 41.2 weeks, a delay of 9.8 weeks. Seven mice in the pollen eating group were still tumor free at 56 to 62 weeks of age, when the tests were ended. Remember, these mice were bred to die from tumors. The mice without the protection of the pollen in their food developed tumors and died right on schedule.It kind of makes you wonder why we don’t hear about this study now, when mammary tumors are so pervasive, doesn’t it?In a study at the University of Vienna, twenty-five women with inoperable uterine cancer were treated with chemotherapy. The women who were given pollen with their food exhibited a significantly increased level of immune-system cells and antibody production, as well as a higher concentration of oxygen carrying red blood cells. These women experienced less nausea and hair loss from their chemotherapy. The control group experienced no comparable relief.From Agronomic Institute in Romania come more results revealing the immune strengthening effects of pollen. Researchers documented an increase in the level of blood lymphocytes, gamma globulins, and proteins in those subjects given pollen in comparison with control groups. The results signified a strengthening in the resistance of the organic systems, particularly the lymphocytes. These are the white blood cells that are the guardians of the immune system, protecting the body from injurious or harmful substances, infected or diseased cells, mutant and cancerous cells, viruses, and metabolic debris.A treatment for allergies, called desensitization, was developed at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London over 100 years ago. It improves allergies and controls asthma by helping to build immunity to allergens by using pollen as an antigen. A report from Dr. Leo Conway, a pioneer in the field of desensitization, documented that 94 percent of his treated patients were completely free of allergy symptoms.Pollen is reportedly an agent for the relief of hay fever, bronchitis, ulcers of the digestive tract, colitis, and urinary disorders. It supports the endocrine system, helps protect the arteries of the heart from atherosclerosis, and treats prostate conditions. It is beneficial for the brain and nerves, acne and fatigue.Another study documented the ability of pollen to stimulate ovarian function. When given pollen supplementation of 2 parts per 100 in food, or 5 parts per 100 as substitution for animal protein, the intensity of ovulation increased. Pollen also increased the ability of eggs to withstand the incubation period.The benefits of bee pollen extend to the area of weight loss. Pollen has been shown to have an ability to promote fat loss by rectifying the chemical imbalances that many overweight people have. Pollen also improves metabolism, and dissolves and flushes fat cells from the body due to is high percentage of lecithin. Because pollen is so nutritionally complete and balanced, it helps reduce food cravings.What a Healthy Person Can Expect From Bee PollenWhen pollen is regularly ingested by healthy people, they can expect protection against any insufficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, particularly during times of intensive physical or mental work. Optimal physical and mental output may be expected. The body will receive greater reinforcement during its resistance toward any environmental insult or aggression. Internal metabolic disorders that may eventually generate disease conditions will be forestalled. It is a natural product that is well tolerated by the body. During its many years of testing, pollen has been notably free of harmful side-effects.Buying and Using PollenBee pollen in the form of tablets should be avoided, since heating of pollen during compression will destroy its enzymes and vitamin C content. Since pollen is a food, buy it in granules that can be chewed and eaten. Pollen has a slightly sweet, pleasant taste that will be agreeable with most children. For the very ill, pollen can be almost completely dissolved in the saliva of the mouth and swallowed.Start slowly with a few granules and build up your consumption over time to as much as several teaspoons daily. Choose pollen that has been harvested from a diverse selection of geographic areas to achieve a nutritional profile that is balanced. Keep opened containers of pollen in your refrigerator. Unopened containers can be kept in your freezer. Pollen is very reasonably priced, at about 10 dollars a pound. It is an extremely effective and convenient way to supplement on a fairly low budget.
About the author
Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.