Earth without bees?

[Mans not hot]

Bees are interesting, very important creatures but all over the earth bees die.
Einstein predicted: "If the bee became extinct, man would only survive 4 years beyond it."

What will happen if bees become extinct?

[Corvus]

It would be a pity, some flowers would extinct and no more honey could be consumed, unless it can be artificially produced

[el22]

We would still survive. Anyway we're not gonna let bees extinct.

[xajapa]

Actually, bees pollinate more than just flowers and make honey. They pollinate many of our food sources. There has been a noticeable decline in the number of pollinating bees: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder. Still, with scientific and technological advances, I think we will survive this. Now, if this happened hundreds of year ago, I don't think society would have adapted so well.

[Sarmatian]

... all over the earth bees die...

Care to elaborate?

[xajapa]

Care to elaborate?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder
From the article:

While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, and were known by various names (disappearing disease, spring dwindle, May disease, autumn collapse, and fall dwindle disease),[1] the syndrome was renamed colony collapse disorder in late 2006[2] in conjunction with a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of Western honeybee colonies in North America at that time.[3] European beekeepers observed similar phenomena in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain,[4] and initial reports have also come in from Switzerland and Germany, albeit to a lesser degree[5] while the Northern Ireland Assembly received reports of a decline greater than 50%.[6]

[mr. logan]

There would be no more real honey, some glucose substitute will come up. Pollinization could be artificially developed. Here in my city there are lots of big trees on the streets, and there were some honeycombs. This was years ago, now all is gone. Spiders and the green "hairy" worms dissapeared too. I think cell towers are the problem. Constant vibe in the air must be mutating the bodies. Hopefully, they will all come back.

[alfieb]

There would be no more real honey, some glucose substitute will come up. Pollinization could be artificially developed.

I hope that happens.

I would love to live in a world without bees. They are one of the very few things in the world that scare me.

[xajapa]

I hope that happens.

I would love to live in a world without bees. They are one of the very few things in the world that scare me.
Make sure you are distinguishing between bees and wasps. I live out in the country, and am allergic to wasps, so I have learned. Most bees, especially pollinating bees, I have found to be non aggressive. Wasps, especially yellow jackets and hornets, on the other hand, are very aggressive. We need the pollinating bees. I noticed last year that my apple and peach trees did not produce as they should.

[Comte Arnau]

Without them, my capital would be called Arselona. Yikes.

[arcticwolf]

Bees are interesting, very important creatures but all over the earth bees die.
Einstein predicted: "If the bee became extinct, man would only survive 4 years beyond it."

What will happen if bees become extinct?

It's been going on for years now dude. They are puzzled but there is huge effort underway to save bees. They pollinate something like 40 to 50% of all crops, maybe even more. The disappearance of bees would be catastrophic to food production.

There is another issue, the aggressive and unproductive African bees are replacing the productive and mild European bees especially in North America. There is an all out fight between bee keepers and African bees.

It is a well known issue. European bee has to be saved of we are screwed.

[Comte Arnau]

Arcticwolf being serious about an issue, lol. It made my night.

[arcticwolf]

Arcticwolf being serious about an issue, lol. It made my night.

This is serious dude! I may kid around about trivial things but this is very serious! :P

[askra]

Lot of plants would be in danger of exinction, but fortunately great part of them don't need the bees to be pollinated.
While honey would be produced by wasps and hornets.

[xajapa]

Lot of plants would be in danger of exinction, but fortunately great part of them don't need the bees to be pollinated.
While honey would be produced by wasps and hornets.
I'm not sure about that
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00827.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_wasps_produce_Honey

[askra]

I'm not sure about that
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00827.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_wasps_produce_Honey

In East Asia some species of wasps and hornet are used to produce honey, for example the asian giant hornet. However i have no idea if it tastes like bee honey.

[Mans not hot]

Word without bees is a world without pollination, without plants, without animals and without human.
Bees are flexible and symbol for sane nature. Bee deaths is indication for nature's disbalance.

Blue honey, thank you no. We have the option, the bees don't!

One important fact book by Jared Diamond is :"Collapse", illustrates, with historical examples, where ecological destruction lead on to.

[mr. logan]

In East Asia some species of wasps and hornet are used to produce honey, for example the asian giant hornet. However i have no idea if it tastes like bee honey.

Asians must use that to rub their small genitals with..

[Mans not hot]

Asians must use that to rub their small genitals with..
Is this a fact or you're trolling?