Page 21 - 200704 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - April 2007

Mysterious Hive Illness 21 Mysterious Hive Illness 21 Mysterious hive illness estimates the value of honey bee pollination in Base in Tucson, Ariz., would report that no Mysterious hive illness has beekeepers on alert Canada is more than $1-billion a year. military maneuvers were taking place that night at the Barry M. Goldwater Range to the west. has beekeepers on alert Commercial apiarists such as Rowaan rent out hives to fruit and vegetable farmers to pollinate (Air Force officials would change their story crops. two months later, saying the person on duty that Bees also pollinate more than 16 per night failed to look at the proper logbook.) cent of the flowering plant species in the world. The lights were flares, said the Air There are approximately 2,400 beekeepers in National Guard, dropped during nighttime Ontario. exercises at the Barry M. Goldwater Range. That's what they were, insists Lt. Col. Ed Jones, who piloted one of the four A10s in the squadron that he says launched the flares. Jones, in his first interview with the news media concerning the night 10 years ago, says he can't believe a decision to eject a few leftover flares turned into a UFO furor that continues to this day. He now is assistant director of operations for the 104th Fighter Squadron of the Maryland National Guard. On the way back to Tucson, not far from Gila Bend, Jones says, he reminded pilots to eject their leftover parachute flares. pilot debunks old A A pilot debunks old Jones and the crew returned to As the weather continues to warm up, Maryland. Several weeks later, Jones says, "All Phoenix Lights UFO the 1,000 beehives on Brian Rowaan's St. Phoenix Lights UFO this stuff just blew up." Davids farm are bustling with activity as bees eport emerge from their winter sleep. r report "Now it's spring, they're getting more active so we're getting them ready for 1997 lights were flares, he 1997 lights were flares, he pollination," said Rowaan, an apiarist who runs insists B&E Honey Fields. insists Along with other Ontario bee keepers, Rowaan is also keeping a close eye on his bee BY SCOTT CRAVEN population, looking for signs of a mysterious ARIZONA REPUBLIC illness that is plaguing the United States. Colony collapse disorder has been reported in at least 24 states. Some American-based beekeepers have ROB McCONNELL reported losing more than 90 per cent of their ROB McCONNELL bees. in Las Vegas It has not yet been confirmed whether in Las Vegas the mysterious syndrome has migrated north, at the Head Office of at the Head Office of however, a number of Ontario beekeepers have JUST LIKE SUGAR reported losses. JUST LIKE SUGAR "It hasn't been a disaster for me but it is a heavier winter loss than normal," Rowaan said of his hives. Brent Halsall, president of the Ontario Beekeepers Association, confirmed some members have reported significant losses in hive populations. "They don't know what it is and they don't know why it's happening, but they do know they're losing a lot of colonies," he said. The association is conducting research On a mild springlike evening, the string to determine if the losses are related to colony of amber orbs appeared as if by magic, a collapse disorder. celestial sleight of hand that would in the Mike Sylver and Rob McConnell "We haven't found anything specific to coming weeks make headlines across the say CCD is the cause of all this. It's a little nation. premature to say what we've got here, but we Although little more than an do know we're losing bees in Ontario," Halsall atmospheric curiosity at the time, the hovering said. balls of light soon would become known as the The cause of colony collapse disorder is Phoenix Lights, an event that 10 years later not yet known. Theories include environmental continues to spark debate over just what was change, pesticides and disease. seen that night. An estimated one-third of all food In the ensuing decade, the Phoenix production in North America depends on Lights would change outlooks, minds and even pollination. a few lives. What hasn't changed is this: the Lower crop yields could result in higher mystery that still hovers above March 13, 1997. prices at the grocery store, a U.S. congressional It is agreed that at about 10 p.m. on that committee hearing in Washington was told last date, under a clear sky with no breeze, a string Dr. Randall Robirds week. of lights appeared in the southwest sky. and Rob McConnell Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Officials at Davis-Monthan Air Force www.justlikesugarinc.com www.justlikesugarinc.com