Beekeepers Persuasive Letter

Since 2006 beekeepers have been noticing their honeybee populations have been dying off at an increasingly rapid rate. Joachim Hagopian, the author of “Death and Extinction of the Bees,” makes similar statements as the author Darryl Fears has made. Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) as this loss of bee phenomenon has been called is currently recognized as such an urgent crisis that a month ago (February 2014) Newsweek ran an article outlining the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement that it will provide a $3 Million subsidy in

Honey bees are one of the world’s most fascinating insects. Although dangerous when provoked many people underestimate there economic importance into our global system. It is a well known fact that bees are great pollinators and are responsible for most of the food we eat but unfortunately the bee population has been in decline for a few years due to Colony Collapse Disorder also known as (CCD). There are many reasons for the decline in bee population. Some of the reasons are that the human population is evidently increasing at a demanding rate. So the need for more land to create property, demand in food is growing meaning an increase of pesticides.

Concern in relation to global bee populations has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. The primary cause of this has been a large scale population decline of both wild and domestic varieties, this can be seen within the US (Fig.1) as honey bee population experienced a 59% reduction in colonies between 1945 and 2008 (van Englesdorp et al. 2008). These findings have been supported elsewhere with experts observing similar changes in the UK with 3 of 25 bumblebee species native to the UK having become extinct since 1950 (Goulson et al. 2008). The significance of these findings are great; partly due to the importance of bees in areas such as pollination and honey production, as well as other implications of the data such as ethical issues.

The honey bee population is going down, and while most people think it doesn't really matter or just don’t notice it, they should because it is a very big problem. I think the other people should try and change that. If bees die then it will not be good, at all. In this persuasive piece of writing, I will be trying to make people rethink about the bee population, and what it could potentially do to the human race.

1.6 million bee colonies are placed in the almond farms in California each year to pollinate the almond trees. To get there from all over the U.S. bee owners must use crates and put the bees on trucks and drive them across states. Many die on their way there from distress, panic from leaving their original colonies, and even dying from

Where would we be without the honey bee? Around 2006, a decline in the honey bee population was noticed throughout the world. Beekeepers started noticing that many of their honey bee colonies were dying off, weakening, or completely leaving their hives. As the problem became more and more prevalent, it was given the name Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Scientist studying the sudden death and disappearance of the bees found problems that they were not able to explain. The honey bee decline became worldwide news as more and more beekeepers reported unexplained loss of honey bee hives. The common indicators of colony collapse disorder are the rapid loss of adult worker bees from affected colonies as evidenced by weak or dead colonies with

According to the article, Honey Bee Heath and Colony Collapse Disorder, honey bees around the U.S are slowly and puzzlingly disappearing. This slow disappearance of the honey bee population is caused by a disorder known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD.) Colony Collapse Disorder causes adult honey bees to completely “vanish” leaving behind only the queen bee along with immature bees. Although this disease is receiving a lot of attention and research on CCD is taking place, the causes and treatments for Colony Collapse Disorder are still undefinable as well. Some may ask, “Who cares? Why is it important that bees are disappearing?” It is important because bees are the foundation to U.S agriculture and they are vital to worldwide economic stability which is why finding the cause and treatment for CCD is a top priority for scientists and researchers around the world.

Honey bees in America are disappearing at a rapid rate but yet their is no solution. In Europe, the union felt the bee population should be protected. The union placed a two year ban on two types of pesticides , includes clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Scientists think that those are the leading causes of the colony collapsing. Unfortunately the U.S. is still not taking action.

According to the National Geographic News website, the domestic honey bee population has decreased 50% in as many years (Roach, 2004). Many reasons are blamed for the decrease in honey bee numbers including diseases and pesticides. Scientists have given the decline in honey bee population phenomenon a name, Colony Collapse Disorder. While some experts maintain that Colony Collapse Disorder is a nuisance and not a catastrophe, it is a serious problem affecting domestic honey bees worldwide.

From around the year 2006, many bee farmers in the U.S.A and some parts of Europe started reporting sharp declines in their bee stocks. The reason for this declining numbers was not known and therefore scientists named it colony collapse disorder (CCD). Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a not a very old phenomena and it became popular when large number of bee colonies started disappearing. The disappearing was mysterious since no dead bees were found in or around the beehives after a colony’s number was reported to have gone down or vanished. This prompted a lot of study and investigations to uncover the mystery and to establish possible remedies. Among the many reasons for the causes of the CCD

Introduction: Honeybees, Apis mellifera, are essential to the ecological biodiversity, economic stability, and food security of the United States. In fact, honeybees are economically valued at over 14.6 billion dollars a year as they pollinate 1/3 of the human diet. 1 Honeybee populations have declined by more than 30% over the past seven years due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). 2,3 CCD is a phenomenon in which adult worker bees suddenly desert a healthy hive and queen, causing the collapse of the hive. 4 This problem emerged in the winter of 2006 and continues to persist in the

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) cannot be attributed to one cause alone, but rather a combination of environmental factors that weaken the hive’s ability to survive. Between the typical threat of microorganisms, such as diseases and parasites, and the growing effects of industrialized agriculture, climate change, and cell phone use, bees are more susceptible to starvation, and illness.

The non-native honey bee, Apis mellifera L., plays an important role in plant pollination services, pollinating 90% of commercially insect-pollinated crops (Steffan-Dewenter et al., 2005). Additionally, they produce honey, which is an important international commodity. Understanding the ecology of honey bees is imperative as humans are becoming increasingly reliant on pollination services for food production. With the upsurge of backyard beekeeping (Salkin, 2012) it is imperative to understand and protect this species. However, according to(vanEngelsdorp and Meixner, 2010), honey bee populations are declining in the United States due to several factors, including such stressors as parasites, pesticides, and fungal and bacterial infections. The cumulative impact of these issues can lead to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), where honey bees leave the hive and never return, though the exact cause(s) of CCD is currently unknown. Honey bees require specific resources within a certain distance to their hive, and it is helpful for beekeepers and land managers to recognize this relationship in order to maintain healthy and efficient hives. A healthy beehive is more adaptable to a changing climate and can better withstand environmental pressures, and healthy bees promote the reproduction of crops and other plants that humans deeply rely on. Therefore, it is imperative for beekeepers to maintain healthy hives and to understand the best practices for honeybees. The

During the past decade the presence of bee diseases, droughts and other variable weather conditions has reduced the supply of bees worldwide. In the United States for example, the past few years have seen bush-fires, droughts, the killer mite (Varroa destructor) and the Colony Collapse Disorder wreck havoc with U.S. honey crops by destroying nearly two-thirds of their colonies. This has lead to a market opportunity for other countries to sell their honey to the U.S., which happens to be the largest consumer (and 3rd largest importer) of honey worldwide.

Importance of Honey Bees Environmental Issue Environment As the honey bee population declines, there is a decrease in honey production and decrease in crop pollination resulting in a negative economic impact. The theory among the scientific community regarding the bee colony decline is related to multiple stressors including: 1 pests, pesticides, inadequate nutrition, poor management practices, and lack of genetic diversity (“Pollinator Health Concerns,” 2016). This supports