A Cause of the Honey Bee Deaths

My bees died this spring. They had been healthy and happy 5 days prior when I had put an essential oil in their hive to kill off mites. Something I do every spring and not something that would harm them. However, 5 days later I was walking by the hive, I noticed hundreds of dead bees at the doorstep to the hive and on the ground in front of the hive. I looked inside and most of the rest were in various stages on their way to death. The ones still alive appeared to be drunk. I thought they looked like they had some sort of nervous system toxicity.

When I called my local bee association and spoke with one of the respected mentors there. He told me he thought my bees had a new type of Nosema called Nosema ceranae. I got my microscope out and dissected some bees and did see the Nocema spores. However, with ceranae the bees usually die away from the hive and what I had was a massive amt of dead bees (appeared to be all of them) in the hive or right outside of the hive. Plus the ones still alive looked drunk. I was so sure they were poisoned with something.

Upon further investigation I came upon what I think was the culprit. A type of insecticide called imidicloprid. It is my personal belief that this insecticide is a main cause of the massive honey bee deaths being experienced on the planet.

In 2003, 13 North Dakota beekeepers brought a class-action lawsuit against Bayer, alleging that the company's neonicotinoid, Imidacloprid, which had been used in nearby fields, was responsible for the loss of more than 60% of their hives. The beekeepers said their bees appeared to be getting drunk from the spray. They could not walk straight and could not work. (Just like mine!)

Dr. Daniel Mayer a retired bee expert from Washington State University, traveled to 17 different bee yards in North Dakota and observed dead bees and bees in the throes of what looked like Imidacloprid poisoning. He theorized that after foraging in planted fields where the seeds had been treated with Imidacloprid, the bees then brought the pesticide back to the hive, where it built up in the wax combs.

Pennsylvania beekeeper Dave Hackenberg lost 60% of his colonies. In an interview with Linda Mounton Howe, he said hat he and other beekeepers thought the culprits were systemic nicotine-based insecticides getting into crops that flower, contaminating the pollen on which honeybees forage. Imidacloprid (Called Gaucho by Bayer is a nicotine-based insecticide.)

Many of us beekeepers think that the virus and fungi that are being found in the bees guts when they are found dead (colony collapse disorder) is not the actual culprit but they are merely opportunists growing out of control in bees with compromised immune systems. People have asked what is it that is suppressing the bee’s immune systems. Why do so many of the bees die in the fields and not even return to their hives. Some of us think the answer is Bayer’s number one selling insecticide, Imidacloprid. Imidacloprid is s neonicotinoid that lab tests have confirmed will interfere with nerve impulse transmissions in insects, including honeybees. Aha, this sounds like a drunken honeybee does it not?

Environmental groups and beekeeper organizations have been trying to ban neonicotinoid pesticides, which have been linked to bee decline across the world. In a recent study, the toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticides to arthropods was shown to be reinforced by exposure time. The Dutch toxicologist Henk Tennekes demonstrates that the long-term risks associated with the insecticides imidacloprid and thiacloprid are far greater than previously thought. This could actually explain worldwide bee decline. The study was published in the journal Toxicology, July 23rd.

The acceptable limits for neonicotinoid insecticides are based mainly on short-term tests. If long-term studies were to be carried out, far lower concentrations may turn out to be hazardous. This explains why minute quantities of imidacloprid may induce bee decline in the long run.” Because of their high persistence significant quantities of neonicotinoids may remain in the soil for several years. Consequently, untreated plants growing on soil previously exposed to imidacloprid may take up the substance via their roots and become hazardous for bees.

In short imidacloprid and other neonicotinoids are bad news for the bees and probably bad news for other beneficial insects. Some countries such as France and Germany have bans on neonicotinoid use. Bayer has had multiple law-suites against their product imidacloprid, but in the USA we are still using it along with its closely related chemical relative called clothianidin (also made by Bayer)

WHAT CAN WE DO? I am sure none of you reading this blog use toxic chemicals in your gardens or on your farms. However, we need to talk to our neighbors and find out what they use. Educate them on the hazards of neonicotinoids. It will take all our efforts to save the honeybees.

Places you can learn more:

http://pollinatethis.org/beeblog/2009/05/24/us-honeybee-advisory-board-asks-epa-to-ban-imidacloprid/

http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1603/0022-0493-101.6.1743?journalCode=ecen

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12469.cfm

http://www.earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1779&category=Environment

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/10/10-1

Prevention of Influenza or Flu

Many people are concerned about the possibility of having another devastating flu visit us again such as in the 1918 pandemic. The best thing to do if you are one of these concerned individuals is to take out insurance in the form of a healthy immune system. A healthy immune system is your best insurance against any type of virus including the flu virus.


What can you do to prevent the flu and support your immune system?

• Stay away from sick people - seems simple but people don't do this.

• Wash your hands regularly.

• Clean instruments such as phones that are shared with others with a lavender spray or another antiviral essential oil spray. You can make a simple spray by starting with a base of 40% rubbing alcohol & 60% water or a Base of 20% grain alcohol and 80% water. Once you make your base put the base into a spray bottle. For each oz of base add 40 drops of lavender essential oil. Spray this on items you are sharing with others such as phones. Make sure you don’t spray it on anything you think will be damaged by the essential oil or the alcohol. (I spray this on most things with no problem, but it can damage wood and may damage some fabrics etc. You can test an area first to make sure it will not harm the item.)

• Eating antioxidant rich foods (lots of fruits and vegetables), which is also a diet rich in Vitamin C, beta-carotene and essential minerals is helpful.

• Increase immune system supportive nutrients such as vitamin C with bioflavonoids 500 mg in the AM and PM at minimum. If someone is sick they usually take vitamin C up to bowel tolerance. (This is the amount that causes your stools to become slightly loose.) Once they reach bowel tolerance they lower the dose slightly so they don't have loose stools. Also zinc, about 15-30 mg per day. If taking zinc for more than 3 months you should take copper in a ratio of 8 parts zinc to one part copper. So if taking 15 mg zinc per day you would take 2mg copper also. Last but not least consider vitamin D (sunshine, supplements (needs to be D3-check lab levels to decide on amount to take-see below), cod liver oil) . A multiple B vitamin can be helpful in addition for general cellular energy production.

• Getting a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D test is a good idea as many people do not have adequate levels of vitamin D, and often these people find they can prevent flu with just this one change. Research shows that low levels of vitamin D predispose one to getting the flu as well as the common cold. Until recently there was not a reliable measurement of vitamin D available. The vast amount of new research has shown we need much more vitamin D than thought previously. People who test low in vitamin D usually need to use D3 supplementation to raise their levels to within normal limits. The amounts necessary are often between 3000 IUs to 8000 IUs per day. One should not take large amounts of Vitamin D without testing  occasionally to check for toxicity. Although it is best to work with a professional health care worker, many cities have independent labs that will let you order this test without a physicians order.

• Immunomodulating herbs such as Echinacea and Garlic help prevent colds and flu. I use a lot of fresh as well as cooked garlic in my food during flu season. If I am around others who are sick or if I feel I am starting to get sick I take one teaspoon to one tablespoon of Echinacea every few hours for 2-3 days to keep from getting sick. This works well for me. Yes it is a lot of Echinacea, but I find for myself this is what is necessary.

• Get as much sleep as possible. This is necessary for your body to stay healthy.

• Homeopathic flu solutions called Dolicoccil  or Occilococcinum are helpful.

For detailed information on the use of herbs to support the immune system, you can go to a 2005 newsletter I wrote and have archived at my website: http://www.herbaltransitions.com/herbalresources.html



What About Those Flu Vaccines?

Personally I do not get flu vaccines. I don't like what they are preserved with and don't like to put things I consider to be toxic into my blood stream. I also feel I can much better take care of myself by keeping myself healthy and supporting my immune systems innate ability to protect my body from viruses.

The flu vaccine is prepared from the fluids of chick embryos inoculated with a specific type(s) of influenza virus. The strains of flu virus in the vaccine are inactivated with formaldehyde and preserved with Thimerosal, which is a mercury derivative. (There is a limited supply of thimerosal-free influenza vaccines and it is supplied in single dose vials which do not require a preservative).

Every year, the federal health agency officials make a guess as to which three flu strains are most likely to be prevalent in the U.S. in the following year to determine which strains will be included in next year's flu vaccine. They usually include the two most prevalent strains from the previous season and they watch to see what strain is causing trouble in Asia and use that as a basis to guess it will move on to the U.S. If they guess right and the match between the vaccine and the circulating virus is close, the vaccine is thought to be 70 to 90 percent effective in temporarily preventing the flu of the season in healthy persons less than 65 years old. For those over 65 years old, the efficacy rate drops to 30 to 40%.

Of course this is based on having the correct strains. Making this prediction is difficult since there are several hundred strains of influenza circulating at any time. They do not always correctly predict which flu strains will be most prevalent and the vaccine's effectiveness is much lower for that year and may even be worthless. You would think they would withdraw the flu vaccine if they guess wrong, but they still continue to give out the vaccine anyway.

According to the CDC, people at high risk for reactions to flu shots are those who are sick with a fever, have an egg allergy, have a mercury allergy and have a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome. The most common reactions usually begin within 12 hours of the vaccination and can last several days. They are fatigue, fever,  headache and painful joints. The most serious reaction is Guillain-Barre Syndrome which occurs usually 2-4 weeks after the vaccination. Less than 5% of the cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome end in death.

For up to date detailed information on all vaccines this website is invaluable:http://www.nvic.org/default.aspx

For detailed information on the use of herbs to support the immune system and more details on the flu you can go to a 2005 newsletter I wrote and have archived at my website: 
http://www.herbaltransitions.com/herbalresources.html

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A Hand Pump For the Well

If you are like me and like to be able to be self sufficient, getting a non-electric pump for your well water is on you mind if you have not already done it.

This month I put a hand pump on the well at my farm. It is not just any hand pump though. Originally, I was looking at the old-fashioned pitcher pump. The same exact type of pump my grandmother had on her well. However, I realized early on in my search for the perfect pump that there are now new and improved pump options. After careful consideration of all the pumps available I went for what I consider to be the best choice on the market. It is called the Simple Pump. Indeed it was simple to put in and simple to pump. We placed the Simple Pump right over the current electric pump without a problem. However, this is not just any hand pump. This pump can be hooked up to electricity as a primary electric pump if I wish. Additionally the creator of this fine pump had the forethought to make a pump that it is easily hooked up and used with solar power if I wish. I have not done either of these things currently, although I may hook it up for solar use eventually. Living in the Pacific NW that is not something I am jumping at first thing. I do like the option to be able to easily hook it up to solar though.

There are many things I like about this pump.  I have the choice of pumping the water into a bucket or I can hook it up to my pressurized tank and pump the water right into the tank rather than a bucket. When the electricity goes off here, rather than going out and pumping into a bucket, I pump directly into my pressurized tank and the water still goes into my house and comes out of my faucet and into the toilet. Wow, that is a far cry from my grandmother having to carry water. You can’t fill the whole pressurized tank, as eventually the pressure is too much to pump against. However, it beats carrying the buckets and is much easier to use out of the tap.  It is made right here in the USA and wow is it quality workmanship. The parts are cut and ground with skill. It is not every day you see such brilliant workmanship.

You can find cheaper pumps, but I doubt you can find a better pump or more versatile pump. If you want more details on this pump you can go to http://www.simplepump.com . (I  have no affiliation with this company.)