Colony Collapse Disorder
Hives of Honeybees Die Without Apparent Cause
This is a worldwide problem, particularly bad in America, where honeybee colonies are dying off at an alarming rate.
Many things can kill off a hive of bees, but Colony collapse disorder appears to be a new phenomenon. At present the cause is unknown and there is much research looking into theories such as ‘misuse of pesticides’, ‘accumulated stress related to multiple diseases and parasites such as Varroa mites ’ , ‘suppressed immune systems’ and even 'mobile phone technology'. A clear statement of the problem can be found in the ‘Testimony of Diana Cox-Foster (Professor Department of Entomology at The Pennsylvania State University) before the U.S. House of Representatives (Committee on Agriculture)’ - Colony Collapse Disorder in Honey Bee Colonies in the United States -(March 29, 2007)
America
Whatever the cause(s) turn out to be, the decline of the honeybee in America is seriously worrying. They are not native to the USA, so their demise might have little impact on the native flora – BUT – they are extremely important for the pollination of most agricultural crops. If honeybees go then so does much American food production!
Europe
In Europe too the problem seems to be emerging, with initial reports coming from Switzerland and Germany. We tend to call it ‘Vanishing Bee Syndrome’ here, but it is the same thing. Maybe the sequence of reports will give additional clues? - Spain and Poland seem to have been affected somewhat later.
Wake-up call?
The situation is reminiscent of sudden discovery of the effects of DDT on the environment reported back in the 60’s by Rachel Carson in her book - ‘Silent Spring’. Maybe ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’ in bees is simply an early warning of a more general Pollinator decline ? My own article on Bumblebees (where I state ‘Many species of bumblebee are endangered, and since they are among the most important pollinators of many plants, this is a serious problem.’) points to the decline of just one of the many types of insect that should concern us. It could be said that honeybees are simply another ‘Endangered Arthropod’. Maybe this is a ‘Wake-up’ call?
Discussion and pooling of information
A discussion related to this article has been started, and maybe readers who are beekeepers will be able to exchange ideas through it. It might also be a good idea for someone to set up a sort of ‘clearing-house’ for these observations – so that information from beekeepers can be rapidly passed on to the relevant authorities and researchers? (There is also my blog on this topic.)
Further Information
Further information about ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’ can be found by following these links: Mid-Atlantic Apiculture (MAAREC), American Beekeeping Federation, Pesticides toxic to bees, bees and toxic chemicals, and pesticides. Also at: 'Bee Alert'.
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see also: The Honeybee crisis of 2007
