The Bee Side:Colony Collapse

Disorder

Your apples, your cranberries, your nuts, almonds,macadamia nuts, some of your coffee (are all pollinated by bees)and then indirectly, a lot of our dairy eats alfalfa and alfalfa seed production is reliant on honeybees. We need these bees if we want to produce that food. If we want to continue to eat apples, we need

to have bees.Dennis vanEngelsdorp,

Penn State Apiarist

The only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of isbecause you’re a bee...The only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey....and the only reason for making honey is so I

can eat it.Winnie the Pooh

Hair for pollen to stick to

Static collects from flyingwhich helps gather pollen

once at the flower.

Antenna can smell,measure temperatures,and measure levels of

O² & CO² Notched legs clean antenna

History ofthe Honey Bee

Designed to pollinate.Honeybees are social creatures living together in a colony to serve the queen. One queen bee lives in a hive of a thousand workers, 95% of which are female. The male bees, called drones, serve only to mate with the queen. With the beehive image representing a symbol for industry and cooperation in many cultures, two purposes are fulfilled by a colony: to pollinate nearby crops and to produce honey. Honeybees are finely tuned pollination machines, designed specifically for the job.

Gathering honey is nothing new. Having stemmed from ancient times, rock paintings can date collection back to 13,000 BCE.

business ofthe Honey Bee

A Big Operation.

What it comes down to is this:

Honeybees put 1 out of every 3 bites of food

on our dinner table.

Without bees working to pollinate crops, we would end up with a diet of gruel, wheat, oats, corn, and rice. Vegetables and fruit would be nearly nonexistent or unaffordable.

Pollination occurs either by insects or by wind. A hive visits 100,000 flowers in a single day, which is how commercial beekeepingoperations make their money. Pollination contracts with farmers who rely on bees to grow fruits and veggies is what keeps beekeepers in business. Honey production is a resulting side project.

David Hackenburg, a big player in U.S. bee business, discovered hundreds of his hives missing one day. There were no dead bees left behind, it didn’t look like any of the usual suspects such as mites or disease. The bees had just flown off and never came home. Hackenburg’s story wasn’t unique. World-wide, bee boxes were being found abandoned. This collapse has been documented in 35 U.S. states along withTaiwan, Argentina, China, France, Italy, and more.

As a result, American bees are coming up short in pollinating major crops such as almond groves.Concerned almond farmers have called upon the government for assistance, and permission has been granted to import very confused Australian bees across the ocean in airplanes. Although a quick fix, this is not a long-term sustainable solution.

Bees are dying, but it’s not just a question of whether or not there will be enough bees for pollination. This phenomenon should be realized as an indicator of environmental quality. When the bees die, there is something much greater that is off, and it is going to affect us all in one way or another.

In 2006, the first public cries were made in regards to missing bees

in the United States.

The disease,The culprit

Colony Collapse.

David Hackenburg,Beekeeper

All fingers point in an alarming direction. Pesticides. Currently, around 95% of food is treated resulting in 1 billion pounds of pesticides used annually. In the last 20 years, average corn yield has doubled from 75 to 150 bushels per acre, and in the next 20 it’s expected to double again. This kind of growth is understood as success despite the decreasing quality of corn, not tomention the same degree of crop lossdespite pesticide use.

Specifically, during this decade there has been an increased use in systemicpesticides. These chemicals are applied to the soil and are absorbed through the plant’s roots. Effects of the systemicinsecticides slowly deteriorate mental and physical systems of not just bees, but also frogs, bats, butterflies, hummingbirds, and all native pollinators. These symptoms don’t always surface immediately, and used amounts aren’t lethal to an individual bee. However, over a long period of time, sub-lethal deterioration becomes problematic.

After scientistsstarted to studythe afflicted bees,distinct symptomswere identified:No dead bees remain behindNo usual suspects such as mites or pathogensOnly a handful of young & a queen (if any) remainRapid loss: a colony would never leave young behind

Along with pesticide use, monoculture is distressing the bees. Monoculture is the practice of planting a single crop over a wide area, year after year. Farms are not diversified anymore. This deters beesbecause of the limited blooming period of a single crop. Pests also love and thrive off monocultures, calling for more pesticides.

Beekeepers are constantly moving away from monocultures to be near more diverse landscapes in order to keep their bees away from large amounts of pesticides.

Previously in France, a similar occurrence took place under the name of Mad BeeDisease. The French beekeepers rioted andprotested until eventually the pesticide was banned to protect the environment. Other countries have gone along with France and have placed bans on systemic pesticides.As a result, in regions where newproducts were not applied to crops, the bees bounced back within a year.

This is promising news!

TheBeekeeper

in youHow we can help!

We hear the buzzzzz,so what should we do?

Colony Collapse Disorder comes as a blessing in disguise. We, ashumans, are creating vulnerable environmental conditions, and the bees are letting us know. There isn’t just one place of blame, but rather an unbalance of multiple environmental damages. Bees are being placed in the forefront of public consideration, which is where they need to be forappropriate action to take place.

National awareness can come in many forms, so here are some places to start! Among all else,simply spread the story. Even the Obamas have become beekeepers, homing the first ever beehive at the White House.

4. Become a Beekeeper!

Even hosting a single hive can make a difference. Backyard beekeeping has become a trendy andrewarding hobby. In 2010, New York agreed to allow beekeeping within the cityfollowing the leads of cities like Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco.

1. Eat Local & Organic

We don’t have to wait on the government to controlpesticides; many farmers already are doing thisthemselves! We have the power to “vote with our forks” three times a day about what we chose to eat or not.

2. Buy Local Honey

Replacing sugar with honey is a great place to start. It’s the most ethical & delicious sweetener available, taking the least amount of carbon to get to your table. Also, be weary of funny honey, or imported honey blends that is sold as pure honey. It out prices U.S. producers, whichhurts local production.

3. Plant a Garden

Aim for a meadow rather than a lawn with native plants & flowers for bees to visit. Avoid toxic chemicals; holistic gardening is usually more effective. Cut a flower patch or veggie garden into your lawn, there’s nothing more rewarding thanenjoying your very own bounty!

www.lyndieraymond.com/thebeeside

It’s not a hopeless cause! Give Congress & senators a call to express concerns about the bees, and what goes into our food. Politicians respond to letters and media, and together we can assist the bees and expedite natures way of saying, can you hear me now?

For more info about CCD, check outwww.vanishingbees.com

www.helpthehoneybees.com

Lyndie Raymond, 2012

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