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certain insects and, in contrast to the findings of the University of Jena trials above, Cox-Foster et al. stated that "the digestive tracts of honeybees and of many other insects do not allow Bt to work".” Thus, because of prior research showing that bees are not directly killed by Bt, many bee scientists have avoided testing Bt on bees for sub-lethal, behaviour-altering effects and have quickly ruled out GM Bt as a possible cause of CCD. certain insects and, in contrast to the findings of the Australia, and at one time a virus from Israel was University of Jena trials above, Cox-Foster et al. stated blamed. that "the digestive tracts of honeybees and of many Research is again currently underway in Europe to other insects do not allow Bt to work"’’ Thus, because confirm increased mortality from a parasite combined of prior research showing that bees are not directly with GM Bt Cry toxins, as was originally discovered in killed by Bt, many bee scientists have avoided testing Bt he Jena University study.” If the GM Bt Cry toxins make on bees for sub-lethal, behaviour-altering effects and oles in the bees’ gut and if increased susceptibility to a have quickly ruled out GM Bt as a possible cause of | pathogen is shown to be a result of such Bt Cry CCD. oxin-pathogen interaction, then simply naming the pathogen without acknowledging the synergy of the An Indirect Cause of Colony Collapse Disorder? combination or the effect on cognitive processes of the Scientists looking for a cause for CCD have looked for bee will not lead to a solution for the problem of colony a direct cause, something such collapse disorder. Meanwhile, as a virus or a parasite that is the worker bees fly out of the directly killing the bees. The . . beehive and then fail to return. New York Times recently reported Research is again currently Science does not work by that the cause of CCD has . simply connecting the dots. finally been discovered: the underway Ha Europe Science works by the gradual combination of a parasite and a to confirm increased acceptance by larger and larger virus.** The article failed to * * numbers of scientists over a mention that the lead author of mortality from a parasite period of time that a concept is the described study had been combined with GM proven. When the starting the recipient of a significant . point is that all the bee research grant from Bayer Crop Bt Cry toxins... scientists in the world have Science and that he is the "CEO of the company developing kill bees, then it is a substantial scanners to diagnose bee uphill battle to change the diseases" and thus "could benefit financially" as a result minds of those scientists gradually. When politics and of the findings.” big business are also involved, then the situation can be Bee scientists have a tendency simply to look for _ difficult to change. Few people realise the extent to diseases in the surviving bees. No lateral thinking is — which the world's ecology is dependent on the humble involved. No consideration is given to impairment of the bee. oo specialised cognitive functions of the bee, such as its navigation ability which is necessary to prevent the About the Author: worker bee from getting lost in the field. There isa big Peter Olson is an Australian researcher who began difference between asking "What is killing all the bees?" _ beekeeping in the 1970s and has spent a number of years and asking "Why are all the bees getting lost?" reading journal articles to find the cause of Colony This is not the first time that a cause for CCD hasbeen Collapse Disorder of bees. His article "The Medical named. Previously, a virus originating in Australia was Benefits of Beta-1,3,d-Glucan" was published in NEXUS said to be the cause, even though CCD does not exist in 8/02. He can be emailed at beeccd@yahoo.com. read that Bt Cry toxins do not Research is again currently underway in Europe to confirm increased mortality from a parasite combined with GM About the Author: Peter Olson is an Australian researcher who began beekeeping in the 1970s and has spent a number of years reading journal articles to find the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder of bees. His article "The Medical Benefits of Beta-1,3,d-Glucan" was published in NEXUS 8/02. He can be emailed at beeccd@yahoo.com. Endnotes insects" (Ecology and Evolution, ETH Zurich, ETH- 1. Cox-Foster, D. and D. vanEngelsdorp, "Solving the Zentrum NW, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland), Proc. R. Soc. Mystery of the Vanishing Bees", Scientific American, March __ Biol. Sci. 2003 Dec 7; 270(1532):2471-73 31, 2009 7. Griffitts, J.S. and R.V. Aroian, "Many roads to 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ resistance: how invertebrates adapt to Bt toxins", Colony_Collapse_Disorder Bioessays 2005 Jun; 27(6):614-624; DOI:10.1002/bies.20239 3. Tew, J.E. and DJ. Heilman, "Controlling Varroa Mites 8: Mahbubur Rahman, M., H. Roberts, M. Sarjan, S. in a Bee Hive", http://beelab.osu.edu/factsheets/sheets/ — Asgari, O. Schmidt (University of Adelaide, South varroa_mites.htm Australia), "Induction and transmission of Bacillus 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ thuringiensis tolerance in the flour moth Ephestia kuehniella”, Colony_Collapse_Disorder Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 2004 Mar 2; 101(9):2696-99, 5. Farina, W.M., C. Griiter, P.C. Dfaz, "Social learning of http:/www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ floral odours inside the honeybee hive", Proc. R. Soc. B. articlerender.fcgi?artid=365683#id2782119 2005 Sep 22; 272(1575):1923-28: PMID:16191598 9. Mallon et al., op. cit. 6. Mallon E.B., A. Brockmann, P. Schmid-Hempel, "Immune response inhibits associative learning in Continued on page 77 NEXUS ¢ 29 Bt Cry toxins... DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 20II www.nexusmagazine.com