"The Bees are dying."
"60-80% of all Honeybees in The US are dead, just gone."
It’s not just America, insects and birds are rapidly dying off EVERYWHERE.
Media and government are simply ignoring it.
YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO…
NOTE: The video is a clip, not full length - we are attempting to locate this young lady as well as the full version video. Please advise in the comments if you discover who this young lady is as well as a link to the full version of this video.
DO KNOW this situation is decades old but the situation as recently become very critical. A Substack post linked at the end of this repost provides a promising solution.
ADDENDUM
The Importance of Bees
Bees are critical to both human survival and the health of ecosystems worldwide, primarily due to their role as pollinators.
They are responsible for pollinating a significant portion of the world's food crops, with estimates suggesting that one out of every three bites of food humans consume, particularly fruits and vegetables, depends on them.
This pollination service is essential for the reproduction of most flowering plants and agricultural crops, contributing significantly to food security and the global economy.
Beyond direct food production, bees also support the cattle and dairy industries by pollinating hay and alfalfa, highlighting their broad impact on various food systems.
Bees play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, as the plants they pollinate provide food and shelter for a wide array of wildlife, from small arthropods to large land animals.
Their health is often considered a bellwether for the overall ecological condition of a community.
The decline in bee populations, driven by factors such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change, poses a staggering threat to natural systems and human life.
Protecting bees is considered crucial for safeguarding the natural systems that sustain life on Earth, and their intricate social organization further underscores their essential ecological role.
Bees are crucial for the pollination of a significant portion of the world’s food supply, including many fruits, vegetables, and crops that feed livestock.
Approximately one-third of food crops in the U.S. depend on bees for pollination. Their disappearance would lead to a drastic reduction in crop yields and variety, making many foods scarce and expensive.
The loss of bees would have a profound impact beyond just food, affecting entire ecosystems and the delicate balance of nature.
Bees are considered a keystone species, and their absence would create a vacuum in ecosystems that would be difficult to fill, potentially leading to the extinction of many other species that rely on bee-pollinated plants.
Bee populations are currently experiencing catastrophic declines, with beekeepers in the U.S. reporting an average loss of 62% of their colonies between June 2024 and February 2025.
This rate of decline is considered unprecedented and poses a significant threat to agricultural production, with potential shortages and higher prices for food on the horizon.
From Freespoke’s LeoAI…
Perspectives
Bees are essential for human survival and their loss would be catastrophic.
Some sources suggest that without bees, humanity would struggle to sustain the global population, and some attribute a quote to Albert Einstein stating that mankind would only have four years left to live, though its authenticity is unconfirmed.
The disappearance of bees would lead to a significant reduction in the availability of vitamins and minerals, potentially causing widespread malnutrition and weakening human immune systems.
Hand pollination by humans is an unsustainable alternative for crops, and without bees, many crops would cease to exist, leading to skyrocketing food prices.
The manufacturing of important drugs and medical treatments, such as those derived from willow and aspen trees for aspirin or opium poppies for morphine, could be affected by a sudden loss of bees.
Just Bee Honey
While significant, some claim the loss of bees would not lead to widespread famine.
The majority of human calories come from cereal grains like wheat, rice, and corn, which are wind-pollinated and would not be affected by the loss of bees.
Although many fruits and vegetables rely on insect pollination, their loss would alter human food systems dramatically rather than cause famine.
Even if honeybees specifically went extinct, other pollinators exist, and while things would change considerably, entire ecosystems would not necessarily collapse.
Our Note: your diet would never be the same with no bees…
What are Neonicotinoids?
Neonicotinoids are a class of systemic insecticides chemically related to nicotine, and are among the most widely used insecticides globally.
They operate by targeting the central nervous system of insects, leading to paralysis and death even at low doses.
Unlike contact pesticides that remain on plant surfaces, neonicotinoids are absorbed by plants and distributed throughout their tissues, including leaves, flowers, nectar, and pollen.
Common neonicotinoid pesticides include acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and methotrexate.
These chemicals are frequently used as seed coatings for various crops such as sunflowers, cereal grains, beets, potatoes, and rapeseed.
This method allows the growing plant to absorb the insecticide as it develops, providing protection for seedlings and potentially reducing the need for multiple sprays later in the season.
Concerns have been raised regarding the presence of neonicotinoids in the environment and in food and water resources.
These pesticides can contaminate water as traditional water treatment methods often fail to remove them from tap water. Studies have detected neonicotinoid residues in various fruits and vegetables, and in human cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and urine, indicating human exposure.
Perspectives
Environmental and Health Concerns
Neonicotinoids are highly toxic to pollinators like bees and butterflies, beneficial insects, and aquatic invertebrates, leading to population declines and adverse ecological impacts.
The EPA found that three widely used neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) likely harm roughly three-fourths of all endangered plants and animals.
Neonicotinoids pose neurotoxic risks to people and wildlife, and studies have shown they can pass through the human placenta to a developing fetus.
In some regions, like California and Connecticut, the sale and use of certain neonicotinoid pesticides for non-agricultural outdoor uses have been restricted or banned for unlicensed applicators.
Agricultural Utility and Historical Context
Neonicotinoids have served as alternatives to older chemical classes of insecticides like organophosphates, carbamates, phenyl-pyrazoles, and pyrethroids over the past two decades.
These pesticides are used to control harmful insects on a range of crops including oilseed rape, barley, and sugar beet.
Seed treatments with neonicotinoids can protect seedlings for up to ten weeks, reducing the need for multiple pesticide sprays later in the growing season.
The European Commission has closely monitored the relationship between bee health and pesticides, taking a cautious approach to protect bee
Bullet Point Guide on What to Do
First, share the post, including the video (a downloadable copy of the video can be found here (opnes in our online library): http://u.pc.cd/84LctalK - download button should be at the top right of the page)
Next - TALK IT UP… let everyone know what is going on
Then be sure to contact your Senator, Congressman, Mayor, and town council - the pesticide (chemical_ that needs to be ditched is neoticanode, we’ll be adding an addendum to this post with more details on this chemical.
Be sure beekeepers in your area are aware of this - they probably are already but we’re quite sure some are not.
Talk to local reporters about what is going on and the changes that could come if we do not do something now…
Educational VIDEO on the Effects of Neonicotinoids
Neutralizing Neonicotinoids
Neonicotinoids, or neonics, are synthetic insecticides that have been widely used in agriculture since the 1990s as an alternative to older chemical classes like organophosphates and carbamates.
They function as neurotoxins by targeting the central nervous system of insects, leading to paralysis and death.
These insecticides are often applied as seed treatments or directly to the soil, becoming absorbed into plant tissues.
Types of neonicotinoids include imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid.
The widespread application of neonicotinoids has led to their detection in water and soil, posing risks to both environmental health and human safety.
These chemicals are water-soluble and can accumulate in plants and water resources, as traditional water treatment methods often fail to remove them.
Remediation techniques are being developed to address the presence of neonicotinoids in contaminated environments.
Various methods are being explored for the removal of neonicotinoids from water, including the use of thioether-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)1 prepared from amino acids, which act as adsorbents.
Additionally, advanced oxidation processes involving the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by heat, alkalis, transition metals, UV irradiation, or ultrasound can produce sulfate radicals effective in degradation.
Microbial degradation pathways are also being investigated as a means to remove insecticidal residues from soil and water environments.
Perspectives
Concerns about environmental and human health impacts
Neonicotinoids are highly toxic to many invertebrates, including bees and other pollinators, and their systemic nature makes all parts of a treated plant toxic to insects.
Studies have identified neonicotinoids and their metabolites in human cerebrospinal fluid, and exposure has been linked to potential health impacts such as neurotoxicity and reproductive anomalies.
The European Food Safety Authority concluded in 2018 that most uses of neonicotinoid insecticides pose a risk to wild bees and honeybees.
Insect resistance to neonicotinoids is increasing in some pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, reducing their effectiveness.
Arguments for the benefits and continued use of neonicotinoids (we do not agree with any of them)
Neonicotinoids have broad-spectrum insecticidal activity and effectively control a wide variety of pests, including sap-feeding insects, beetles, fleas, and wood-boring pests.
Compared to older insecticides, neonicotinoids are considered to have a relatively low risk for non-target mammalian species and the environment, due to their higher toxicity to insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors than to those in mammals.
Neonicotinoids offer versatility in application methods, including seed treatments and spray applications for various crops
FOOTNOTE
Thioether-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a specific type of MOF characterized by the presence of thiol or thioether groups within their organic linkers.
MOFs are porous, crystalline materials constructed from metal ions or clusters, acting as nodes, and organic ligands, which serve as linkers.
These frameworks can be one, two, or three-dimensional, possessing ultrahigh porosity and vast internal surface areas, sometimes exceeding 6,000 to 7,000 square meters per gram.
The development of MOFs, which began in the 1990s, was recognized by the Nobel Committee for its significance in addressing global challenges.
The unique properties of thioether-based MOFs stem from the interaction between the metal centers, organic ligands, and the sulfur functionality.
These materials have demonstrated diverse applications, including selective CO2 sorption and efficient catalytic conversion, as well as the ability to remove heavy metals like mercury from water.
Thioether groups can enhance the stability, fluorescence, and metal uptake of MOFs.
Researchers have also explored their use in photocatalysis for the selective synthesis of thioethers and in electrocatalysis for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
The synthesis of thioether-based MOFs can involve various methods, including solvent-assisted ligand exchange to create structures not achievable through direct synthesis.
Some studies have focused on MOFs with thiol-thioether-based azolate ligands that incorporate both nitrogen and sulfur functionalities.
The rotation of thioether bonds within the organic linkers can contribute to the rich and stable structures of these MOFs, while uncoordinated sulfur atoms can influence the framework's polarity, affecting its adsorption properties.
