Should it be illegal to raise honey bees?

theinfectedmaster

Argument Topic: Personally, yes.

I think it should be illegal to raise honeybees because they can crowd out bumblebees, wild bees, and native bees. Plus, they're not as effective as bumblebees, wild bees, and native bees. By the way, the whole Colony Collapse Disorder that so called started happening back in 2006 never actually happened. Honeybees have actually been on the rise, not the decline like most people think, and the concentrations of pesticides are too low to where they aren't killing them. They are however, killing the bumblebees, the wild bees, and the native bees.

maxx

Honey bees produce a product; one that is sold and consumed world wide. @theinfectedmaster

Barnardot

@theinfectedmaster @maxx I think you will find that honey bees and bumble bees are both in decline. And I think it has nothing to do with over crowding. Nature takes care of that in keeping the balance. But the research I have done shows that all of these species are in decline in the USA because of the varroa mite that creeps in to hives and lays its eggs that hatch out and eat the bees inside out.

So what the USA bee keepers are doing is importing breads of bees from other countries to prop up the populations. Its important because of cross pollination that many other plants depend upon.

theinfectedmaster

@Barnardot What I've research on most websites is that no. Honeybees are not on the decline unlike other types of bees because more and more people have been raising them. So yes you would be wrong about the honeybees declining. They are dangerous to raise. They contain viruses that can harm native bees, like deformed wing virus and crithidia bombi.

theinfectedmaster

@Barnardot Honeybees aren't even the most effective pollinators, too. They are less effective than bumblebees.

MichaelElpers

@theinfectedmaster
Just because they are less effective doesnt mean they arent effective pollinators that are needed.

Also Do you have evidence that the decline of other bees is due to this so called overcrowding.  Just because it can happen doesnt mean it is.

theinfectedmaster

@MichaelElpers I've read multiple articles about this.

MichaelElpers

@theinfectedmaster

Well then you should be able to cite the data that shows raising honey bees is one of the main factors causing the decline of other bees.

Citing that it can be an issue doesnt mean it is one.

Barnardot

@theinfectedmaster ;I've read multiple articles about this.

Okay well thats cool because your got to do your research and thats what I want to do because its a fascinating subject really

I just wonder if there is one article that you could post that I could read.

theinfectedmaster

www.popsci.com/animals/do-we-still-need-to-save-the-bees
www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/yes-some-pollinators-need-saving-but-honeybees-are-actually-doing-just-fine

Barnardot

@theinfectedmaster Thanks for that link.
It just goes to show that the nee jerk reaction by the commercial bee guys is the loudest because there business is being threatened. But look at what is happening in realty. The commercial bees are pushing out the natural bees and up setting the balance and if that keeps going on to long then a heap of other things in nature go out of balance. Thats good research you did.

MichaelElpers

@theinfectedmaster

Not sure where the article says honey bees are a main culprit in the decline of wild bees.  Just that their population is stable

theinfectedmaster

@MichaelElpers I'll send the other articles about that. I was just sending the ones to prove that honeybees aren't on the decline.