[Pollinator] U.K. bee populations declining

[Ladadams at aol.com]

Thanks to Hilda Diaz Soltero for forwarding this fro Greenwire.

AGRICULTURE: U.K. bee populations declining  (Friday, April 25,   
2008)                                                             
Wild bee populations across the United Kingdom are experiencing   
"catastrophic declines," according to the Bumblebee Conservation  
Trust.                                                            
Mary Celeste Syndrome -- which leaves honey bee hives almost      
completely deserted -- has appeared in Scotland. The syndrome was 
named for a ship discovered deserted in 1872.                     
The disappearance could have serious implications for food supply 
and the price of goods, according to trust's Ben Darvill.         
"Without pollination, flowering crops like beans, peas,           
strawberries and raspberries won't produce anything to harvest,   
and wildflowers won't produce any seeds," he said. "The loss of   
the nation's pollinators is likely to affect your dinner plate,   
and will change the wider countryside beyond recognition."        
The United Kingdom has 18 bumblebee species and many are seriously
threatened due to habitat loss.                                   
Researchers say the varroa mite -- parasites that leave bee larvae
deformed -- have hit bee populations recently.                    
The government is attempting to combat the decline by offering    
payments to farmers to help them maintain flower-rich areas for   
bees and other wildlife (BBC News, April 23). -- RB             






Laurie Davies Adams
Executive Director
Pollinator Partnership
425 Washington Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
415 362 1137 (p)
415 362 3070 (f)
LDA at pollinator.org
www.pollinator.org
www.nappc.org

National Pollinator Week is June 22-28, 2008. Create or attend an event in 
your state. Visit www.pollinator.org National Pollinator Week for complete 
details.

Join the Pollinator Partnership working to protect agriculture and ecosystems 
- visit www.pollinator.org



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