Difference between revisions of "Team:UPMC-Paris/Integrated Practices"

The Interview

Right after we decided to work on bees dramatic disparition, and to focus on pesticids, our first move was to try to determine if yes or no the project was realistic and had a chance to help beekeepers of the world. As we were not fully aware of bees conditions and that we wanted to get informations, we decided to contact people that would be aware of the the problem. That's how we get into contact with Mr. Phillipe Lecompte, president of the bees biodiversity network. The informations we get during our encounter was of critical importance and raised questions about the real causes of bees disparition. The video below, will change was you were thinking was the common truth about bees and beekeeping.

The first point raised during this video, is that pesticids wouldn't be the main cause of bees disparitions, but rather caused by the correlation between the lack of available food (00:38-01:00). Starved bees would start suffering development problem that would, in a second time, lead to pathologies. Bees would grows at the same time as an avaible ressource, when the ressource start to run out [IMAGE COURBE] bees collapse along with the ressource. It would be virus, that would be responsible of the colony collapse. while, at least it seems, the narrowed vision of the media focus the question exclusively towards pesticids.
For instance : Neocotinoids are deemed responsible of bees disorientation, which is one of the reasons bees disappear. At a normal state, for its first flight outside the hive, a bee has a 80% chances to come back. After a Varroa destruction infection, only 60% of bees make it back.

20 viruses are known to affect bees, and are present in every hive. The mix between parasites, viruses and ressources are the real factors leading to the actual degradation of bee's health. Varroa destructor represent a huge threat for beekeeping worldwide, the female Varroa feed herself on bee's blood, transmitting virus or bacteria. During massive infestations, it is possible to observe bees whitout wings, crawling on the floor, or completely deserted hive. All of these symptoms are known as varroose or varroase. Other parasites like Nosema ceranae show themselves detrimental in Europa and south Europa. The bacteria P. larvae (responsible of the american foolbrood), present in 1 out of 5 apiary and 1 out of 8 beehives, is the main factor of the bees current disparition in US.

The polinisators population, domestic or wild, cannot escape the impact of the massive industrial agriculture. They suffer of the destruction of their natural habitats, caused by agriculture and the intensive agricultural practice. Their area of natural repartition crossing unavoidably with space consacred to industrial agriculture. The fragmentation of naturals habitats, the developent of mono-culture leading to a lack of agriculture diversity within the direct area of an hive, are aggravating factors, synonym of desertication for bees.

The first part conclusion of our interview, is how wrong the consensus view of the problematic of bees really is.. The colony collapsing wouldn't be the result of only the pesticids, but rather multi factorial.