http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saanichnews/community/51259842.html

By the time it started to make headlines three years ago, colony collapse
disorder had already wiped out thousands of hives across North America and
Europe.

Beekeepers and biologists were confounded as to a possible cause. Theories
ranged from man-made disruptions, like cell phone radiation or pesticides,
to natural causes such as solar flares, parasites or viruses.

“We’re slowly putting all the pieces together ... it has nothing to do with
your cell phone,” said Mark Pitcher, president of Babe’s Honey and Saanich’s
biggest beekeeper.

While the science isn’t completely settled, it’s increasingly pointing to a
single-celled parasite, Nosema ceranae, as the prime cause, Pitcher
explained. “What it basically does is it causes bees to get
immune-deficiency disorder. So it’s actually causing the bees to almost get
a version of HIV.”

Once the bees immune systems are compromised, they become susceptible to
dying from a wide range of causes, Pitcher suggests, including chemicals
once used to protect the bees from other parasites.

With that in mind, Babe’s is in the middle of a $250,000 makeover to get rid
of any trace of chemicals. Every single wooden hive box the company owns --
35,000 -- are being sand-blasted, fire-scorched and repainted with
canola-based paints.


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