Bumble bees hit by Honey bee diseases

[Perry]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26242960

[riverbee]

thanks for posting this perry......

"the team says that beekeepers should keep their honeybees as free from disease as possible to stop the spread.
"These pathogens are capable of infecting adult bumblebees and they seem to have quite significant impacts,"

[Jen]

Neonics are the Purge From hades!

[apisbees]

I was wondering when the ailments and pests that effect honey bees were going to be found in the native pollinators. As beekeepers we have managed to spread any and every pest and disease known to affect bees all around the world. Picking up ones that were never native to the honey bees in the first place. It was only a matter of time before some of these would jump to other native species.
The honey bees have the beekeeper and political pull from farmers and government to fund research in combating the rash of ailments we have subjected the bees to over time. Who is going to look after the wild pollinators? And even if we wanted, how would we treat when you don't have access to it in a manner to implement change?

[riverbee]

"Who is going to look after the wild pollinators? And even if we wanted, how would we treat when you don't have access to it in a manner to implement change?"

a very good point apis, WHO is going to care and look after the wild pollinators.....only those who care and there are not enough of us, change?......
won't happen. our wild pollinators will continue to decline. just my humble opinion and i have seen it in my own 'backyard'.

[Ziffa]

Maybe we should start considering ourselves "Pollinaterkeepers" .  We spread information and public relations for bees all of the time, we can do it for pollinators too.

It's sad, but riverbee is probably right.  Finger in the dike.  :(

love,
ziffa