Next time you hear something buzzing in your ear, think twice. Such bug-squashing reactions are contributing to the destruction of a very important supporter of the human race – honeybees. These friendly creatures are dying off in large numbers due to a horrible phenomenon called the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This enigmatic tragedy is leaving bee hives all over the United States in ruin. Its causes are still not completely understood but CCD is leading to the death of many bee colonies. The bees in these colonies simply disappear, leaving no remains or signs of mass bee exodus from the hive. The only thing known for sure is that something is killing off the bees in large numbers. Beekeepers around the country are reporting yearly losses of over 30 percent of bees in their hives and scientists report that 90 percent of wild bees in the U.S. have died out.
The causes of CCD are debatable. Some scientists are blaming new pathogens and bacteria that have found their way into beehives across the country. The bees, which have not yet adapted to this invader, become infected, often spreading the pathogens in their daily activities and then die. However, apiologists have not pinpointed the specific pathogen that is present in CCD-afflicted hives, so this explanation seems unlikely, or at least not provable as of now.
Another explanation for this phenomenon is the extreme amount of stress that is put on the bees. Honey is produced using controlled hives that are either split and transported to other areas, or simply over-crowded to ensure maximum honey production. Another stress-inducing factor is the scarcity of natural habitats. Often bees have to wander many miles in search of water or to pollinate flowers that are far away. In doing this, bees often get lost due to the loud noises of populated areas, or are poisoned by polluted water. However, in response to this, bees are often put into peaceful, undeveloped areas as these problems have been highlighted by scientists.
Of all the possible causes, scientists and beekeepers think that the most likely reason for mass bee death in the form of CCD is the use of pesticides. Large amounts of bees are put on farmlands to pollinate the crops. When the bees try to pollinate these crops and suck up their nectar, the pesticides from the plant are also consumed. When the nectar is brought to the hive, it not only kills its carrier bee, but also poisons the colony’s food source. Most bees don’t even make it back to the hive, which corroborates the fact that CCD-afflicted hives are abandoned. Additionally, pesticides in the bee’s food source leads to shortened bee lifespans and generally poor health in bees, meaning higher turnover and less production If you need concrete proof, you can read a recent study done by researchers in Worcester, right here in our home state. In the summer of 2010, scientists studied the effect of a popular pesticide called imidacloprid, which specializes in fighting off chewing insects. In a time span of 23 weeks, they treated 16 hives with the pesticide, but at different levels in each hive. They also had one control hive that was kept away from the pesticide. After those 23 weeks, 15 out of the 16 treated hives had died out, with the most heavily treated hives dying out first.
Who cares? They’re just pesky little bugs that sting and get in your face when you’re trying to enjoy your day. This conception is very wrong. Besides the fact that honeybees aren’t aggressive creatures, they are also essential in the production of foods that we consume every day. Bees don’t just make honey and wax. They pollinate over one third of the world’s flowering plants, including many fruits, nuts and vegetables. This plethora of crops accounts for about $15 billion worth of crop product per year.
S
o what can we do to save the honeybees and our crops? Sadly, there isn’t much for the everyday person to do. The responsibility largely falls on the farmers and beekeepers in charge of these bees. Farmers are working with scientists to develop and use safer pesticides so that they do not destroy the bees that allow them to farm. Also, many people are stepping forward to take on a hive or two in order to keep the bees in a safe environment and nurture them. Bees essentially take care of themselves, and you only need to go into the hive if you are interested in harvesting the honey. It’s a cheap hobby with great results. We need these creatures in order to operate our world, so it is necessary that we help them to operate theirs.
Although the everyday person may not be the biggest threat to the honeybee species, next time you hear a buzz in your ear, think about what bees do for you and reconsider that nasty swat.
Luke Dery is a Collegian columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].
