When I got the e-mail from my former neighbor this afternoon indicating that he was going to be on TV, my curiosity was peeked.  Tom has recently started a new venture in his life & is now an Eco-farmer in Hesperia, Newaygo County, Michigan.  Newsreporters were on his farm to interview him about a disturbing development that is affecting farmers across Michigan. The story featured on WZZM13 of Grand Rapids, Michigan indicates that there is a strange, unexplained phenomenon which has serious implications for Michigan.  Apparently, honey bees are dying, literally by the ton...for no known reason. 

Tom refers to his bees as "God's fertilizers"!  He practices organic farming and uses no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. The WZZM 13 TV report indicated that he had started with 3 colonies & literally overnight, 2 of them had suddenly died.  This situation is being repeated on farms across the country.  There seems to be no rhyme or reason; some farms are affected and others seem, at least for now, to be unscathed.  The situation is affecting colonies in at least 23 States across the United States, even as researches plan to converge an urgent meeting in the nation's Capitol to discuss the issue.

If this continues unchecked, there will be serious consequences for Michigan's local agriculture.  In a state plagued by serious economic challenge, this is unwelcome news.  Already, 30% of the hives in lower Western Michigan have perished.  Various theories abound about probable causes including the strange weather patterns that have affected the state with unseasonable cold & warm spells, mites and a strange disease called Colony Collapse Disorder.

Research on Colony Collapse Disorder revealed some fascinating, yet somber parallels.  Apparently as this disease progresses, honey bees don't die...the worker bees simply leave.  According to research by Dr. Jamie Ellis of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, "Symptomatically, colonies with CCD can appear healthy as few as three weeks prior to collapse." All the worker bees simply disappear leaving behind, colonies full of honey, a few workers & the Queen. 

As, I drive past shuttered factories, homes for Sale on many streets  in Grand Rapids, Michigan & witness an increase in homes in foreclosure and short sales on my local real estate board, I am struck by an uneasy parallel...Michigan was the only state to suffer a Net Loss in population as so many moved out of the state due to economic conditions.

There are many reasons why this is an important story.  Nature is often our first responder to significant changes which will affect life on earth as animals, being closer to Nature, respond instinctively to changes in the earth's atmosphere.  Reports after the major tsunami  hit  Asia indicate that animals began to withdraw from the shoreline...apparently instinctively sensing something was amiss.  Unfortunately, curiosity propelled many human beings toward the danger & eventual destruction

Bees are the primary pollinators for crops.  Although, I find it annoying to be stung, the flowers in my yard need bees for cross pollination.  So do the trees & vegetables on farms across the country.  Bees are little creatures, but they contribute a very important service as they busily buzz around.  Let's hope that we can come to a true understanding of what is so rapidly decimating the population of these creatures & perhaps in the discovery come to a better understanding of the vulnerabilities of this earth home we all share.

Other Related Articles related to WZZM 13 News Story :

Collapsing Colonies by Joanne C. Taddwell of the Daily  Courier

Mysterious Bee Deaths Threaten Agriculture by Corrine Purtill of the Arizona Republic

Bee Photo Gallery

An intriguing & Strange Scenario...Are Mobile Phones Wiping Out Our Bees? by Geoffery Lean & Harriott Shawcross

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