Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

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Limited-Time

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

The decline in bee population due to CCD is not new. Several major University's Biology departments have been researching the disorder for a number of years already. I think there was a special in the Discovery channel covering the collapse. Still a scary thing if you consider all the ramifications.:(:(
 
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cheburashka

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

I heard about this problem awhile ago, and wondered if there was anything an individual could do about it. I have a pretty big yard with many flowers and flowering fruit trees. Anyone know whether it would be good idea to set up a hive in my yard? How would I go about stocking it? Would I run the risk of spreading the mite infestation?

Thanks
 
bjcsc

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

While important, the bee problem pales in comparison to the percentage of corn now grown for biofuels (which is the real reason the price is going up). Who knows what will happen now with the Iowa situation...
 
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javsam

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

Yes, there even was a story about it on 60 minutes about 2 months ago.It is a scary thing. I really hope they find a cure for those little guys.
 
tommays

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

I thought is was because everything to do with food from planting to the store is diesel powered which has gone up a bit :D
 
Vlad D Impeller

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

This honey bee problem is a very serious one, it is not only affecting the USA, but most of Europe and many parts of Africa and Asia.
This could well develop into a major national security delema if not rectified.
Thus far, the cause or causes are not yet comprehensively identified. :(

There are certain insects that mankind directly depend on for its survival, the honey bee is at the top of that list.
 
arboldt

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

West Michigan is a prime fruit-growing area. My late brother-in-aw was an apple farmer NW of Grand Rapids, and the only reason he had decent crops his last few years is because the guy he rented bees from liked him. This has been a major problem for years. In addition to the mites and loss of habitat, infiltration of Africanized ("killer bees") from Latin America has led to a hybrid breed that is less useful for pollination (this is still in the southern US so far -- haven't read much about 'em lately).

So we definitely need to do everything we can to foster the bee population.

The only problem is, my wife's doctor tells her that if she ever gets stung, she'll have maybe 5 minutes to live. And yes, she carries an epipen with her all the time.
 
rolmops

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

The dirty little secret in this whole deal is that man is responsible for this one.The beekeepers are.
They do not like to mention it, but the entire problem started when beekeepers began importing queens from Australia in order to increase their hive capacity.Queens was not all they imported.
The only place in the USA where there is no problem is Hawaii where they stuck to their local bees and never imported any.
 
aspeck

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

I saw a movie about that not too long ago - the Bee Movie, I believe it was called. :D

In all seriousness, I gotta stop reading this thread ... started reading it a while ago and was called out for an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Came back to it, and what just came across the pager, you guessed it, another allergic reaction to a bee sting (only this one is not in our main coverage area). Seems like a corrolation to me.
 
Mark42

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

Just a casual observation and comment:

It never ceases to amaze me the sheer diversity, depth, and breadth of topics and knowledge that members bring to these forums.

iboats has to be one of the top websites on the web.
 
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mscher

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

cheburashka said:
I heard about this problem awhile ago, and wondered if there was anything an individual could do about it. I have a pretty big yard with many flowers and flowering fruit trees. Anyone know whether it would be good idea to set up a hive in my yard? How would I go about stocking it? Would I run the risk of spreading the mite infestation?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Great idea.

I thought about it also, but the wife said no more projects, until I finish some already started ;)

Like most everything else agriculture, bees and beekeeping was at one time, a "local" enterprise, which worked out well, for both the bees and local plants.

In recent years the small guy got out and the bees got stressed from being hauled coast to coast, year round.

Since farming is finally starting to get some of the "local" back, it may be time to bring back the small beekeeper.

It might be a fair amount of work, but there is not much better than local clover honey.

Good luck.
 
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obezag

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

I read somewhere that some foreign countries are having to hire locals to pollinate farms and orchards by hand because of this. Frogs and crickets have also been declining for several years. If this trend continues fuel prices will be the least of our worries.
 
jay_merrill

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

Interesting topic. Just a curiosity question - since bees are not native to North America, what pollinated crops and plants before they were imported? Could whatever that was, be part of a possible solution to this problem?
 
CN Spots

CN Spots

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Re: Why food is getting so expensive, it's not what you think.

"After tasting it, he realized it was honey, WYFF-TV reported."

Ewwww! What's this strange, gooey substance coming out of my wall?

I think I'll lick it...:eek:
 
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