Tuesday, January 4, 2011

96% of Bumblebees Gone in U.S.

Bumble Bees In US Suffer Sharp Decline, Joining Countless Other Species 

To read full news article click "Bumble Bees in In US" above.

North American bees are disappearing at a rapid rate, signaling a dire threat to the production of countless food sources. The Guardian reports that four common species of U.S. bumble bees have declined 96 percent in recent decades, and scientists allege that disease and inbreeding are responsible.
Honey bees have long been known to be in decline, suffering from the enigmatic colony collapse disorder, and the latest research on U.S. bumble bees only exacerbates concerns over future food production, as bees are responsible for pollinating 90 percent of the world's commercial plants, from fruits and vegetables to coffee and cotton.end quote.

Though I suppose it is possible to pollinate with artificial bees that would be manufactured like little robots to fly and pollinate all the plants we need to bear fruit and vegetables to survive, it is very sad that so many of the Bumblebees and regular honey bees are gone now. As multiple species  diminish and some go extinct one wonders where man fits into the whole extinction process. In other words if all these species are diminishing when will we diminish as a species as a direct result?

However, at least in regard to honeybees part of the problem is due to inbreeding by humans of their bees. Only in the wilds can bees breed naturally to survive most everything that comes. So, only in wild undomesticated hives will a potential answer come in the long run for this problem if it comes.

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