If you’re like me, perhaps you’ve wondered where are all the bees this year? Normally, they are buzzing around fields here in Pennsylvania, threatening to sting me any time I venture outdoors. This phenomenon has been witnessed in many states earlier this year and I can only assume it has spread since. I could count on one hand the number of honeybees I’ve seen this year: one. I tried to kill it today, actually. I’m glad I didn’t because even though I have these violent impulses, I always regret taking something’s life — even something as far down the ladder as a bee. So far this feeling has yet to manifest itself in the form of vegetarianism, but I’m getting close. If I had to actually kill the meat myself to eat it, I’d be there.
Anyhow, back to honeybees. The Discovery Channel is reporting a new possibility for the mass die-off: Israeli acute paralysis virus, which kills off worker bees and causes the collapse of the colony, aptly named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Other possibilities include parasitic mites, pesticides, poor nutrition and the stress of travel as beekeepers cart colonies around in search of the best pollen collection areas. At least it doesn’t appear global warming is to blame, but I wonder what will be the repercussions for flowering plants next year.
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7 September 2007 at 08:54:46
GrahamJ
Two years ago the bees “stayed” away during the critical pollination period which resulted in a poor fruit crop. It was serious. Exports were the lowest for 5 years. What happened to them?. Many a debate, from incorrect insecticides to whatever. This year is a good year, we were talking about the bees yesterday, and one thing is evident, a normal winter and all is fine, an “unseasonal” winter and things go wrong. Climate change?
7 September 2007 at 09:02:10
Jason Adams
Climate change was my original thought, but that Discovery article didn’t mention it (and they usually aren’t shy on that count). I guess we’ll see.
19 September 2007 at 16:33:54
NHFarmer
Problem 1. Beekeepers and I am one of them are getting older. No beekeepers, no managed bee colonies, no pollination.
Problem 2. Commercial Ag attempts at increasing commercial pollinators, ie: importing 100K’s of Austrailian honeybee colonies beginning in 2004. Importation of honeybees from Australia had previously been banned since 1922. Importation of apis dorsetta (asian honeybee) in the 80’s brought us the varroa mite
Problem 3. Large 1000 acre +++++ mono crop agricultural practices, overwhelm the ability of local pollinators, bumble bees, butterfiles, ect to pollinate crops. When the ability to pollinate crashes so does this food production system.
How do we solve these 3 simple problems. Darn if I know.
9 October 2007 at 12:59:41
We are screwed « The Mendicant Bug
[...] environmentalism, fatalism, global warming, honeybees, pollinators, stupidity Not only are honeybees disappearing, but bumblebees are going the way of the dinosaurs too. Bumblebees pollinate roughly 15% of the [...]