http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE53Q3KP20090427?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews

Death knell sounds for Europe's beekeepers
Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:10am EDT
By Pete Harrison<http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=Pete.Harrison>

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's beekeeping industry could be wiped out in less
than a decade as bees fall victim to disease, insecticides and intensive
farming, international beekeeping body Apimondia said on Monday.

"With this level of mortality, European beekeepers can only survive another
8 to 10 years," Gilles Ratia, president of Apimondia, told Reuters.

 "We have had big problems in southwest France for many years, but also now
in Italy and Germany."

 Last year, about 30 percent of Europe's 13.6 million hives died, according
to Apimondia figures. Losses reached 50 percent in Slovenia and as high as
80 percent in southwest Germany.

 With 35 percent of European food crops relying on bees to pollinate them,
it poses a big threat for farmers, said Ratia.

 "It is a complete crisis," said Francesco Panella, who tends about 1,000
hives in Piedmont, northern Italy. "Last year, I lost about half my
production. I can't survive more than 2 or 3 more years like this. My son
won't be able to continue my trade."
>
> ..........


-- 
Juanse Barros J.
APIZUR S.A.
Carrera 695
Gorbea - CHILE
+56-45-271693
08-3613310
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/
[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned 
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html