Bee collapse not due to inbreeding

Is the chemical industry deprived of another dodge? Here’s an informative article from ABC Science, but with one glaring error:

Professor Ben Oldroyd of the University of Sydney welcomes the latest study on the genetic diversity of managed bees. “[Harpur and colleagues] were using a new genetic marker … So they got a really good handle on it,” says Oldroyd, who studies the behavioural, evolutionary and population genetics of bees. Oldroyd has also found similar genetic diversity of managed bees in Australia, which to date does not have colony collapse disorder. (Emphasis mine.)

To date the chemical industry has successfully hidden the disaster going on in Australia and naive journalists have failed to dig a little deeper and challenge this. June Stoyer and I recently interviewed Australian commecial beekeeper Jeffrey Gibbs for The Organic View Radio Show and Mr Gibbs presents a quite a different view. The interview will air on October 17, 2012.

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