Colony Collapse Disorder --
A pathological condition affecting a large number of honeybee colonies, in which various stresses may lead to the abrupt disappearance of worker bees from the hive, leaving only the queen and newly hatched bees behind and thus causing the colony to stop functioning. Abbreviation: CCD
- Dictionary.com
The bees are dying en masse and no one knows how to stop it.
You might ask yourself, why should I care and even if I did care what can I do about it? Well, for starters, do you like your coffee?
You might ask yourself, why should I care and even if I did care what can I do about it? Well, for starters, do you like your coffee?
"Some types of crops have flowers that may only be pollinated during a short period. If such a crop is not pollinated during that time, the flowers will fall and no seeds, berries or fruit will develop. There have to be sufficient numbers of bees in the pollinated crop."
"A single coffee flower is only open for three to four days when blooming. If a bee or another insect does not pollinate the flower during these days, it will wither, and no coffee bean will be produced. Clever coffee farmers take care that there are plenty of honeybees or stingless bees for pollination in the farm."
Other examples of crops that depend on a honey bee population to produce quality fruit include, but are not limited to:
Apple, Apricot, Asparagus seed, Avocado, Bean (Lima), Blackberry, Blueberry, Cabbage, Brassica (canola, oilseed, rapeseed), Carrot seed, Clover seed(White), Citrus, Cotton, Cucumber, Eggplant, Gourds, Kiwifruit, Mandarin, Mango, Melon, Onion seed,Peach and nectarine, Pear, Pepper (Green, Sweet), Pumpkin, squash, gourd, Strawberry, Watermelon, Safflower, Sunflower, Onion seeds.- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Cultivation of new queens and beekeeping helps, but there are only so many honey bee queen breeders in the United States and even then you're trying to fix a symptom and not a cause.
What causes Colony Collapse Disorder?
There's a severe problem here, when it comes to being able to solve the actual problem -- No one knows exactly what causes Colony Collapse Disorder. There are, however, many ideas at the forefront and also many things that we use today that are known to outright kill bees, helping to contribute to the lower numbers in their declining population.
Neonicotinoids are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine. The idea was that Neonicotinoids are already present in plants, therefore they would make a great pesticide because no harm could come to the plants themselves, only the insects that would try to feed upon them. Unfortunately this pesticide is also present in the flowers and pollen that bees will ultimately interact with to build their hives and pollinate other plants. The EPA did require a study done as to the effect that this class of pesticides, specifically Clothianidin, would have on the bees, but only after the product hit the shelves.
The timing of the decline in bees and the introduction of the first Neonicotinoids on the market is also very suspicious. According to a French study, done in 2001, the bee population weight per hive dropped by over one half between 1995, when the first Neonicotinoids were introduced, and 2001.
Studies like these have lead to the European ban on several Neonicotinoids, but there is still far too much in action when it comes to the rest of the world.
Neonicotinoids
Neonicotinoids are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine. The idea was that Neonicotinoids are already present in plants, therefore they would make a great pesticide because no harm could come to the plants themselves, only the insects that would try to feed upon them. Unfortunately this pesticide is also present in the flowers and pollen that bees will ultimately interact with to build their hives and pollinate other plants. The EPA did require a study done as to the effect that this class of pesticides, specifically Clothianidin, would have on the bees, but only after the product hit the shelves.
The timing of the decline in bees and the introduction of the first Neonicotinoids on the market is also very suspicious. According to a French study, done in 2001, the bee population weight per hive dropped by over one half between 1995, when the first Neonicotinoids were introduced, and 2001.
Studies like these have lead to the European ban on several Neonicotinoids, but there is still far too much in action when it comes to the rest of the world.
What can we do?
Neonicotinoids are not the be all end all of the debate on the bees, either, several other possibilities exist, including many theories that may not even exist at present. So, what can we do to help solve this problem before we're required to use chicken feathers and bamboo poles to pollinate crops for some 300 million people who live in our nation?
According to Dr Ivor Davis, master beekeeper and past president of the British Beekeepers' Association, there are 10 things you can do to help:
1. Become a beekeeper
2. Help to protect swarms
If you see a swarm of bees do not try and spray it with water or do anything to break it up. Call a local bee-keeper or the police and someone will come and take care of the problem for you. These are natural events in which bees can add to their colonies.
3. Plant your garden with bee friendly plants
4. Buy local honey
5. Ask your [representatives] to improve research into honey bee health
6. Find space for a beehive in your garden
Or try to find aspiring bee-keepers who have no space in their yards to loan out part of the space in your garden to -- you'll both benefit.
7. Remove jars of foreign honey from outside the back door
These can infect bees with diseases that other bees, in different regions, might have stored within their honey.
8. Encourage local authorities to use bee friendly plants in public spaces
9. Learn more about this fascinating insect
10. Bee friendly
Stay calm, do not swat at bees who come close to you, and do what you can to not cause harm to any bees around you.
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Besides these tips, there are other things you can do. There are always petitions that can be found to be signed, as well as activist groups like Bee Against Monsanto, who want to bring more public attention to this sometimes undervalued cause.
Edit:
My lovely friends at Bee Against Monsanto would like to add that they would like everyone to join the swarm across the globe as we 'Swarm to Save the Bees' - International Honey Bee Day - August 16th.
For more info visit: Swarm the Globe to Save the Bees
1. Become a beekeeper
2. Help to protect swarms
If you see a swarm of bees do not try and spray it with water or do anything to break it up. Call a local bee-keeper or the police and someone will come and take care of the problem for you. These are natural events in which bees can add to their colonies.
3. Plant your garden with bee friendly plants
4. Buy local honey
5. Ask your [representatives] to improve research into honey bee health
6. Find space for a beehive in your garden
Or try to find aspiring bee-keepers who have no space in their yards to loan out part of the space in your garden to -- you'll both benefit.
7. Remove jars of foreign honey from outside the back door
These can infect bees with diseases that other bees, in different regions, might have stored within their honey.
8. Encourage local authorities to use bee friendly plants in public spaces
9. Learn more about this fascinating insect
10. Bee friendly
Stay calm, do not swat at bees who come close to you, and do what you can to not cause harm to any bees around you.
---------------------------------------------------
Besides these tips, there are other things you can do. There are always petitions that can be found to be signed, as well as activist groups like Bee Against Monsanto, who want to bring more public attention to this sometimes undervalued cause.
Edit:
My lovely friends at Bee Against Monsanto would like to add that they would like everyone to join the swarm across the globe as we 'Swarm to Save the Bees' - International Honey Bee Day - August 16th.
For more info visit: Swarm the Globe to Save the Bees
Photo Source:
I just read your article. Nice, concise intro into neonicotoids! June the Aug 16th (International) Swarm the Globe to Save the Bees! on fb.
ReplyDeleteWhat started as small local actions, spread across the country, and then it went Global to the UK, Canada, Germany, Australia and New Zealand that I'm aware of. It might bee buzzing in your town! Check us out and join the Swarm. Start your own Hive if there isn't one. We have lots of good fun for the best cause on the planet, food safety for everyone!