BERLIN // Beekeepers in Germany have resorted to stealing each other's hives in response to the mounting death of bee colonies in recent years. An estimated 20 per cent of Germany's one million managed honeybee colonies did not survive the winter. One of the main reasons is infestation by the Varroa destructor mite, a deadly parasite that has hit bee populations around the world in recent years, beekeepers say.
Gerhard Liebig, an expert on beekeeping at the University of Hohenheim, in southern Germany, said he has had 72 beehives stolen since 1993; the latest theft was in March, when two hives vanished. "The thefts are happening because people have been losing their hives to the Varroa mite. The stealing is at its worst after high-loss winters," said Mr Liebig, who manages 200 bee colonies at 20 locations in Stuttgart.
"I suspected I was being targeted by a repeat offender and I installed motion-sensor cameras. I caught him on camera and he turned himself in after the photos appeared in the press and people recognised him." Reported thefts of beehives almost doubled, to 306 in 2008 from 164 in 2007, and the figure was unchanged in 2009, according to Germany's leading insurer of beekeepers, Gaede & Glauerdt. There is little doubt that the thefts are being committed by beekeepers. "We assume that non-beekeepers wouldn't pack bees into the cars and drive off," Claudia Leiss, a bee insurer at Gaede & Glauerdt, said. "I certainly wouldn't. One should treat these animals with caution. Besides, the hives are really heavy." During the summer, a single hive can contain more than 40,000 bees.
The thefts highlight the mounting loss of managed populations of bees worldwide, which has led to concern about the effect on honey production and on the ecosystem. About one-third of the food humans consume is directly or indirectly dependent on bee pollination, including those produced in fruit orchards, melons, peppers, pumpkins, and raspberries, along with about 90 other kinds of fruit and vegetables. In addition, animal-feed cultivation relies heavily on bees.
In Germany, the hard-working insects are regarded as the third-most important livestock, after cows and pigs. The Varroa mite, one of several pests plaguing bees, attaches itself to the insects and their larvae and feeds on their lymph fluid, passing on diseases such as deformed wing virus and rendering them more vulnerable to disease. Beekeepers say their colonies are also weakened by the growing use of pesticides and the intensive farming of large-scale monocrops that deprives bees of varied nutrients.
"If bees only find pollen from rape and sunflowers, it's as damaging as if humans just eat bratwurst," said Jürgen Tautz, a bee researcher at the University of Würzburg. The threat to bees has been making headlines around the world since 2006, when there was an outcry in the United States over the mysterious disappearance of up to 70 per cent of bee populations there, a phenomenon described as colony collapse disorder. The bees were flying from their hives and not returning.
The absconding of bees is largely confined to the United States, where beekeepers are said to be to at fault because they have taken a rampantly commercial approach. "In the US, bees are just work objects, whereas German beekeepers really care for their hives and virtually treat the bees like pets," said Burkhard Schricker, a bee specialist at Berlin's Free University. "US beekeepers mainly hire their bees out for crop pollination. They start out in Florida and the southern states in the spring and drive their populations up in huge trucks, carrying hundreds of hives, stopping off at orchards along the way," Mr Schricker said.
"If you transport the bees for hours in trucks, they get shaken through, overheated and overexcited. It stresses them out so much that when the boxes are opened they can't wait to get away. And because they're disoriented, they often can't find their way back. It's mismanagement." In Germany, 95 per cent of beekeepers pursue the activity as a hobby, and only five per cent are professional. In the United States, it is the other way around, according to Mr Schricker.
Bee experts said the risk to bee populations can be reduced if they are properly cared for, which means ensuring they have enough food, regularly replacing the old queen bee with a young one and using new frames to stop disease from spreading. foreign.desk@thenational.ae
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
THE SPECS
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Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
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Bantamweight
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Lightweight
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Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
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Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
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Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
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Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
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Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
World Mental Health Day
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Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Transgender report
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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Tomorrow 2021
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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The%20specs
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
COMPANY PROFILE
Quick%20facts
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Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
