"Hey, . .. .. .sounds like X-Files to me. . ..." . . ..but it really isn't;
Albert Einstein predicted that if something eliminated bees from our planet, man would soon perish thereafter.
There is a problem
occurring in the United States, and also, to a lesser extent, in the UK
and Europe. Let's face it, .. ...it's a very serious global dilemma. It is called Colony Collapse Disorder.
Honey-bees are disappearing. The worker-bees are leaving the hives and
not returning, causing the queens and the rest of the colony to
collapse. First signs of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) were reported
in November of 2006. By December, beekeepers were reporting 60 to 97%
loss of colonies! That's MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of bees. Incredibly, well over half of
the U.S. states are currently affected.
It's really hard to fathom. However, look at it this way; ... ..if it weren't for these little insects we would have very few options in regards to what to eat, on a daily basis, on this planet.
Only a small amount of dead bee bodies have been recovered, of which
those bees are filled with viruses and bacteria, exceeding usual
amounts. Unlike previous colony losses, this particular CCD, which
started just recently, is extremely rapid. This is NOT a dwindling of
the bee population--.....It is a disappearance of the bees on a scale that
is
unprecedented.
The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its commercial
bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.
A hint of the problem first arose recently in Florida where
beekeepers said they found whole hives abandoned by adult bees who left
behind food and bee larvae, the young that develop inside the hive.
"We're
at a tipping point but we don't know what's caused the tip," said Kevin
Hackett, a bee expert with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Minnesota
beekeepers, whose hives are still in hibernation, will learn in coming
days how hard they've been hit. The prospect of losing a significant
number of colonies has some local beekeepers worried.
It's the nation's workhorse when it comes to pollination, handling
the work necessary to create commercial crops of apples, blueberries,
almonds, cranberries, melons and other crops. (Some crops, such as corn,
Minnesota's largest by acreage, are self-pollinating.)
Any
treatment for colony collapse disorder is confounded by its many
possible causes: pathogens; deadly mites; lack of genetic diversity in
the bees; widespread pesticide use and even urban sprawl that spreads
homes and streets across wild fields of clover, alfalfa and flowers, all
sources of bee food. However, it may simply be a combination of all of
these things, said Hackett.
The problem, though more severe in recent times, is not entirely new. Beekeepers for years were reporting 5 to 15
percent losses in their hives, according to Hackett. That climbed to 35
percent in the 1990s as the presence of a deadly mite known as the
Varroa spread among bee populations. Then, about a year or so ago, some
beekeepers began reporting 80 percent to 90 percent losses.
The bees join other pollinating insects that have been suffering
increasing declines since the end of the 20th century, including moths
and hover-flies, and the U.S. findings mirror similar studies examining
bee declines around the world, with everything from increasing city
development to pesticide use suggested as contributing causes.
While the alarming drop in U..S. honey-bee and bumble-bee populations is the latest
news suggesting disastrous consequences from unpredictable climate
change and environmental degradation, it is only a small portion of the
bigger picture. Countless species are dying out at increasing rates,
and the unforeseen effects from such losses could likely be devastating
to the environment.
Stay tuned for more data and updates regarding this phenomenon. As well as the impending, deadly ramifications to our global agriculture and food sources to follow. Bee-Aware!
And Thank you, for taking 'time out' to learn more about your home,.. .. ...Planet Earth.
