A Few Issues Affecting the Bees
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), first identified in 2006, occurs when the vast majority of bees in any given colony — generally worker Bees — die out unexpectedly. Because the queen Bee needs the nectar provided by these workers to nurse new Bees, ultimately the entire colony collapses.
According to the EPA, there have been many theories about the cause of CCD, but the researchers who are leading the effort to find out why are now focused on these factors:
- Pesticide poisoning through exposure to pesticides applied to crops or for in-hive insect or mite control. France to ban all five pesticides linked to Bee deaths.
- Stress Bees experience due to management practices such as transportation to multiple locations across the country for providing pollination services. The large Bee keepers make the majority of their money not from selling honey but from transporting their Bees to places such as, California to pollinate the crops. Great article by NY Mag about this issue to pollinate almond crops.
- Changes to the habitat where bees forage.
- Inadequate forage/poor nutrition.
Learn More at the Links Below:
- The Guardian Article: Bees and flowers have had the world’s longest love affair. Now it’s in danger
- NY Times: Without Bees, we are in Trouble
- NY Times: Sharp Death in Honeybees
- NY Times: Vanishing Bees
- WBUR: Bees are in Trouble
- GreenPeace: The Bee Situation
- Business Insider: Honeybee Trouble