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| Book Reviews | |
When I wrote about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in September 2007 it appeared as though scientists had identified a pathogen (Israeli Acute Paraylsis Virus) responsible for the massive bee die-offs of 2006 through today. Alas, it didn’t take long for scientists to disprove IAPV as the primary cause of CCD. Since then the prevailing story’s been that CCD is a complex syndrome resulting from multiple stressors working in concert to kill the bees. Well, dear readers, I just finished reading Michael Schacker’s new book A Spring without Bees A few of Schacker’s points: • In the United States and France there are strong geographic links between IMD and colony collapse disorder. • The advertised benefits of the IMD product PREMISE (for termite control) closely match the symptoms presented by a collapsing colony of honeybees. According to the PREMISE label the termites “stop feeding and are unable to maintain their colony” and “makes termites susceptible to infection by naturally occurring organisms.” • American media has grossly underreported scientific research and policies coming out of France (and now Germany) that show a strong link between CCD and IMD, choosing instead to emphasize the mysterious aspects of CCD. This is an important book. It’s passionately and clearly written. Carefully researched. A pleasure to read. Highly recommended for anyone seeking new insights into what’s ailing the honeybees. | |
. It feels as though the scales have fallen from my eyes. Shacker makes a compelling case that a single substance, the chemical pesticide imidacloprid (IMD), may be responsible for the bee deaths currently categorized under CCD.
