Colony Collapse

Now it is really turning into a desperate problem as beekeepers report bee losses of 50 - 60%. Some of the factors causing that loss are habitat loss and Varroa mites. Varroa mites are mites that inhabit a bee’s nest then lay eggs in those nest. When a bee wanders by the grown up mites to make honey in a honeycomb, the mites trap the bee in the honeycomb then eventually kill it. Bee also have other natural enemies like bears and other insects. On top of that, we have a lot of stuff against bees, mainly pesticides. Most of the pesticides we use on the crops are usually considered harmless but since the bee pollinates an astonishing number of flowers per day, the pesticides gets mixed together which can have a number of tragic

Another event more recently was reported in Pennsylvania where Keepers reported a 53% loss of their hives. But what made this event most serious was the loss of 1/3rd of bee hives within the United States as a whole. This event appeared to have no particular rhyme or reason for this cause and no singular circumstance could be pointed to as an exact cause of such mass destruction of one species that is crucial to food production within the United States ("Honey Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder").

Since the late 1990s, beekeepers around the world have observed the mysterious and sudden disappearance of bees, and report unusually high rates of decline in honeybee colonies. Bees do more than just make honey! Bee transfer pollen and seeds from one flower to another, fertilizing the plant so it can grow and produce food. Cross-pollination helps at least 30 percent of the world's crops and 90% affects our food. The sweet fruits humans eat such as, strawberries, mangoes, grapes, apples, and bananas would not be the same taste wise as they are now. We simply couldn’t live in the same world if it weren’t for the bees.

In 2006, beekeepers in the United States began reporting unexpectedly high losses of their colonies, as much as 30-90 percent. The phenomenon came to be known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and its causation remains murky, as well as how to treat it. "The main symptom of CCD is very low or no adult honey bees present in the hive but with a live queen and no dead honey bee bodies present. Often there is still honey in the hive, and immature bees (brood) are present. Varroa mites, a virus-transmitting parasite of honey bees, have frequently been found in hives hit by CCD" (Honey Bees Colony and Collapse Disorder (CCD), 2012, USDA). However, this is only one of the speculated causes of CCD.

The colony collapse disorder has been threatening the United States for many years. Reports show excessive numbers of honeybees dying off. According to the Bee Informed Partnership and USDA’s annual survey, during the winter of 2013-2014, the mortality of managed honeybee colonies was 23.2. The previous winter’s report showed a loss of 30.5 percent of the colonies and thus, the winter 2013-2014 results might show some improvement. However, beekeepers persist that the still declining honeybee colonies are becoming too low for colony collapse disorder to be considered a solved issue. Approximately two-thirds of the beekeepers reported losses greater than the acceptable 18.9 percent mortality rate, thus deeming the losses greater than what is economically sustainable. The issue

Honeybees, of the genus Apis, play a huge role in our environment through pollination. One in every three bites of food you eat depends on pollinators. Pollinators transfer pollen and seeds, allowing the plant to grow and produce food. Without bees pollinating, many plants would eventually die off, including the crops that humans eat. But like any other living organism, they are subjected to disease and pests that are harmful to their population. The effective defense against disease is the most vital aspect of keeping a bee colony functioning properly. Their most effective defense mechanism that can lead to self-healing is their behavior of removing as many harmful agents as possible, such as parasites, from their colony. If the dead organism is too large, they will cover it with propolis, which prevents release of pathogens during decomposition of the body. The most important defense against disease, however, is their hygiene behavior. If they find an infected larva in a sealed cell, they will uncap the cell and remove the infected larva from the colony. If adult bees become ill, they will be forced

The first item that needs to be completed is do extensive study of the both the wild and domesticated honey bee. This study of both types is to be done to see why commercial honey bee colonies are affected more often than wild hives. A healthy hive needs to be quarantined for the control. When a colony is suspected of being on the verge of collapsing, miniature transponders will be attached to worker bees to track its movements. Every aspect of the honey bees’ life needs to be studied and documented. The first sign of a colony in danger of collapse needs to be documented. When a remedy is found it can be treated as soon as possible. This step needs to be completed as quickly as possible before it becomes critical. I am estimating

Bees are important pollinators of many plants in the ecosystem (2). Recently, the decline in the number of bees in North America and Europe has shifted the research focus of many ecologists towards pesticide use (2). The impacts of pesticides on bees and other pollinators can have a major influence on honey production and biodiversity.

Albert Einstein once said, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man” (“Einstein Once Said…”). After careful thought on this matter, this can be a scary concept to process. Millions of years have passed with the honey bee gracing the earth, and in fact, the honeybee is the only insect that aids in the production of food that is consumed by the human race (“20 Amazing Honey Bee Facts!”). Imagine going to a grocery store and there being no almonds to buy, a scarce supply of apples to choose from, and a very limited

The Main reason why Bee hives are dying off or disappearing thanks to a still-unsolved malady called colony collapse disorder (CCD). Pesticides are killing off The most destructive of them is the invasion of Varro mites. Varroa mites are parasites which carry harmful viruses which are deadly to bees including the acute bee paralysis virus and the deformed wing virus. These viruses also weaken the immunity of host bees. The Varroa mites also feed on the bee larvae further decimating the numbers. Other Virus factors causing CCD include fungal infections as well as invasion of hive beetles. Another factor attributed to CCD outbreaks is the use of pesticides.

Problem: Decreasing Bee population caused by Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) During the 1980s onwards, the population of the bees had decreased at an alarming rate. The cause of the decline was “due to Varroa and tracheal mites: The first Varroa mite infestation was reported in 1987; tracheal mites were first detected in 1984.” [8] These die-offs forced many bee-keepers out of employment. These die-offs during the past were called by various names: “spring dwindle disease, fall dwindle disease, autumn collapse, May disease and disappearing disease.”[3]

A parasitic mite by the name Varroa Mite has played an immense role in the death of our tiny friends. In the 1980’s, it was detected in America and led to the plenty of bee deaths. Australia has yet to feel its effects, though the parasite has been detected in North Queensland; pushing the government to begin an eradication program before this dangerous mite gets loose!

Summary: The honeybee population has been dwindling for half a century due to the Varroa destructor mite. Scientists have recently found a species of bee in Ithaca, New York, which are not affected by the Varroa destructor mite due to years of genetic adaptation and evolution. Using various museum samples of honeybees, the scientists found that the bees that had developed genetic resistance to the mites had several differences in mitochondrial DNA and a gene related to a dopamine receptor that causes the bees to groom the mites off themselves. These findings may be used in the future to breed more bees that are resistant

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.

Honey bees, feared by the misinformed and admired by the intelligent, are dying. The interest in bees from many environmentalists is not for a sudden cause, as this issue is not new to the world. Honey bees as a population have been in decline for years but have yet to reach the endangered species list anywhere in the United States except for Hawaii. Many people kill bees that buzz around joyfully, simply because they are afraid of being stung by them; however, a vast majority of bees do not sting and the others do not care. This unfortunate commonality is not even one of the top causes of the worldwide epidemic of honey bees. Although bees are jokingly idolized on the internet in pictures and videos as a result of a popular children’s movie, their population decline is in fact quite serious. Honey bees and other pollinators like birds and insects ensure the pollination of flowering plants and crops all around the globe. Not only do honey bees pollinate plants that produce the foods that humans eat, but they also pollinate trees that produce clean oxygen for Earth. Without honey bees, the world as we know it could soon end, due to carbon dioxide pollution and lack of farmable foods. The population of honeybees and other important pollinator-bee species is dwindling due to a dilemma known to scientists as colony collapse disorder (CCD) because of the use of bee-killing pesticides, known as neonicotinoids, the decrease of flower meadows in the world, and the general increase