Where have all the bees gone?

By Anne Consroe

They’re vanishing. Without them, our food supply will be in serious danger. Since late 2006 millions of honeybees have been dying, and we don’t exactly know why. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is eliminating these vital pollinators and endangering our food security.

Experts claim multiple explanations for CCD, including pesticides, new parasites or pathogens, global warming, invasive species, poor nutrition, and weakened immunity. The industrial agriculture system is also contributing to CCD. Bees are shipped around the country and forced to live among various monocrops and growing seasons, which stress the bees. Stress in general compromises the immune system of bees and may disrupt their social system, making colonies more susceptible to disease. Limited or contaminated water supplies could also stress bee colonies.

Approximately one-third of the fruit- and vegetable-producing plants we consume need honeybee pollination to thrive. Since it is still unknown exactly what causes CCD, little can be done to directly fight it. It is unlikely that a single factor is causing CCD. More research needs to be conducted before it is too late.