Comments on: The “Bee Problem”: Is HFCS To Blame? http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/20/the-bee-problem-is-hfcs-to-blame/ Welcome to Eat Drink Better: Sustainable Food for a Healthy Lifestyle Sun, 27 May 2012 01:45:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Viruses Plaguing Honeybees May be Spreading to Wild Bees – Eat Drink Better http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/20/the-bee-problem-is-hfcs-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-102746 Viruses Plaguing Honeybees May be Spreading to Wild Bees – Eat Drink Better Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:00:48 +0000 http://eatdrinkbetter.com/?p=2229#comment-102746 [...] food.  In recent years, there has been a marked decline in the number of pollinators due to colony collapse disorder (CCD) – a syndrome that wipes out entire colonies of domesticated bees.  The exact cause of CCD is [...] [...] food.  In recent years, there has been a marked decline in the number of pollinators due to colony collapse disorder (CCD) – a syndrome that wipes out entire colonies of domesticated bees.  The exact cause of CCD is [...]

]]> By: The Golden Rule and Evolution « The Paleo Garden http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/20/the-bee-problem-is-hfcs-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-62889 The Golden Rule and Evolution « The Paleo Garden Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:35:13 +0000 http://eatdrinkbetter.com/?p=2229#comment-62889 [...] laden foods begotten from an exhausted earth. These strange foods were even fed to their animals (and bees to make honey!), which made the animals as sick as the [...] [...] laden foods begotten from an exhausted earth. These strange foods were even fed to their animals (and bees to make honey!), which made the animals as sick as the [...]

]]> By: Steve Savage http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/20/the-bee-problem-is-hfcs-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-51429 Steve Savage Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:46:40 +0000 http://eatdrinkbetter.com/?p=2229#comment-51429 Almond doctor is right. This post implies that HFCS is unique in having HMF as a potential contaminant. HMF can occur in just about any sugar-rich commodity, for instance it is formed in sun dried raisins or prunes or tomatoes. I'm as concerned about bees as anyone, but this is obviously a complex issue and going after all the standard punching bags is unhelpful. The other side of the coin is figuring out how to restore the populations of the wild pollinators that got plants pollinated in America long before we were dependent on exotic, European honeybees. Almond doctor is right. This post implies that HFCS is unique in having HMF as a potential contaminant. HMF can occur in just about any sugar-rich commodity, for instance it is formed in sun dried raisins or prunes or tomatoes. I’m as concerned about bees as anyone, but this is obviously a complex issue and going after all the standard punching bags is unhelpful. The other side of the coin is figuring out how to restore the populations of the wild pollinators that got plants pollinated in America long before we were dependent on exotic, European honeybees.

]]> By: The Almond Doctor http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/20/the-bee-problem-is-hfcs-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-43440 The Almond Doctor Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:04:09 +0000 http://eatdrinkbetter.com/?p=2229#comment-43440 I dont want to be a critic of your hypothesis that HFCS causes colony collapse disorder, but you have jumped to conclusions not cited by your source. By reading the abstract closely, Honey also forms HMS ("Currently, there are no rapid field tests that would alert beekeepers of dangerous levels of HMF in HFCS or honey" Cited from abstract). I can only speak for beekeepers of California who deal with almond growers with the following statements. Most do not use HFCS. Most beekeepers are aware of the dangers of "old sugar water." Most of all, Farmers and beekeepers are not just "hoping," they are just as involved in finding a solution as the researchers working for the USDA. Your allusion that growers and keepers are doing nothing when this problem occurs is ludicrous. If it was something as simple as HFCS, I can personally guarantee you the problem would be solved - beekeepers and growers are not stupid, ignorant people who are unaware of the changes in their environment and farming practices. Furthermore, if it was just HFCS, why do organic beekeepers suffer from the same problem? I dont want to be a critic of your hypothesis that HFCS causes colony collapse disorder, but you have jumped to conclusions not cited by your source. By reading the abstract closely, Honey also forms HMS (“Currently, there are no rapid field tests that would alert beekeepers of dangerous levels of HMF in HFCS or honey” Cited from abstract).

I can only speak for beekeepers of California who deal with almond growers with the following statements. Most do not use HFCS. Most beekeepers are aware of the dangers of “old sugar water.” Most of all, Farmers and beekeepers are not just “hoping,” they are just as involved in finding a solution as the researchers working for the USDA. Your allusion that growers and keepers are doing nothing when this problem occurs is ludicrous. If it was something as simple as HFCS, I can personally guarantee you the problem would be solved – beekeepers and growers are not stupid, ignorant people who are unaware of the changes in their environment and farming practices. Furthermore, if it was just HFCS, why do organic beekeepers suffer from the same problem?

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