I have been familiar with the topic for sometime and it is disturbing to say the least. It must have been about two or three years when the story
first broke to me when I was up late one evening listing to Coast to Coast AM. I can't remember the name of the guest, but they said, that with the
bees vanishing, it could have catastrophic effects on the world's food chain. Then I remember hearing that it may be a result of pollution, cellphone
towers, and perhaps, GMO food.
They have no idea what is behind this mysterious phenomenon, but the scientific community better get a handle on it soon! Colony after colony have
been disappearing left and right for sometime now and it is only a matter of time before food production takes a hit. The scientific community is
referring to this mystery as (CCD) or colony collapse disorder. Below is a National Geographic article, when the phenomenon was formally reported and
it was in 2007.
Pennsylvania beekeeper Dave Hackenberg was the first beekeeper to report to bee researchers what's become known as colony collapse disorder (CCD).
In October Hackenberg had delivered honeybees to a Florida farm to pollinate crops. The bees typically return to their boxed hives when their work is
done. But this time was different.
"I came to pick up 400 bee colonies and the bees had just flat-out disappeared," Hackenberg said. "There were no dead bees, no bees on the ground,
just empty boxes."
"In almost 50 years as a beekeeper, I've never seen anything like it."
CCD has spread throughout 24 states and ruined hundreds of thousands of bee colonies.
Hackenberg has lost roughly 1,900 of his 2,900 hives. Other operators have lost up to 90 percent of their hives.
Researchers are scrambling to find answers to what is causing the commercially important honeybees to abandon their hives and disappear.
The epidemic could put a strain on fruit growers and other farmers who rely on the insects to pollinate their crops.
An estimated 14 billion U.S. dollars in agricultural crops in the United States are dependent on bee pollination.
news.nationalgeographic.com...
So, if the bee population continues to vanish could we lose certain fruits and vegetables that are contingent on pollination for proper growth and
harvest? Then the financial impact will be devastating to the agriculture industry if the problem isn't stemmed before its too late. As the article
states "14 billion," is a significant sum money tied to bee pollination. Could there be widespread food shortages and skyrocketing prices as a
result?
Here is a little background by the US Department of Agriculture and it has some useful information pertaining to this mystery.
There are three major possibilities that are being looked into by researchers.Bees in hive: Link to video on CCD.
Pesticides may be having unexpected negative effects on honey bees.
A new parasite or pathogen may be attacking honey bees. One possible candidate being looked at is a pathogenic gut microbe called Nosema. Viruses are
also suspected.
A perfect storm of existing stresses may have unexpectedly weakened colonies leading to collapse. Stress, in general, compromises the immune system of
bees (and other social insects) and may disrupt their social system, making colonies more susceptible to disease.
These stresses could include high levels of infection by the varroa mite (a parasite that feeds on bee blood and transmits bee viruses); poor
nutrition due to apiary overcrowding, pollination of crops with low nutritional value, or pollen or nectar scarcity; and exposure to limited or
contaminated water supplies. Migratory stress brought about by increased needs for pollination might also be a contributing factor.
www.ars.usda.gov...
As the two sources show, this problem is one that could have potential consequences to the food supply and the greater economy. Hopefully, the a
solution can be found to stem this growing epidemic, because the affects on society could catastrophic.
[edit on 19-10-2009 by Jakes51]
