May
Bee’s – the plight of Honey Bees Colony Collapse
Disorder
By Gretchen Morfogen
Next time you see a honey bee try not to fear the buzz.
They are a breed of insect that are in crisis of extinction.
What will this mean to the planet? Plenty. The honey bee
is a most important element in the cycle of pollination
of 80% of blooming fruits and vegetables that make it
to our markets. We have underestimated their contribution.
Think about it. Cherry trees, peach orchards, nut farms,
home gardens, commercial growers, all rely on the billions
of bees to pollinate, bring our foods to fruit, fertilization
and seed development, propagating the individual species
of plant. The benefits from this profound act of nature
are significant. Without them the horticultural and economic
impact will jeopardizes our food supply, globally.
Why is this happening? In the past the causes of Colony
Collapse Disorder were attributed to stress, related to
their nutrition but scientists are examining the possibility
of this sudden disappearance due to toxins in the environment.
However, viral and parasitic pathogens have also been
discovered to contribute to the eradication of 50 percent
of hives.
A type of mite was accidentally introduced to Ireland
in 1998 and attempts to contain it failed and spread to
other parts of the country. This mite infestation has
also been associated with an increased incidence of viral
diseases in bees. The effective management of this mite
(varroa) and associated diseases in honeybees, as well
as the protection of native bumblebees through the proper
management and containment of imported species, is expected
to improve pollination efficiency and contribute to sustained
increases in crop productivity which allows these alternative
strategies to play a roll in how we choose to manage our
honey bee issues in North America.
Economic Facts:
• Florida’s $45 million apple crop (the
fourth largest in the country)is completely dependent
on insects for pollination 90 percent of that pollination
comes from honey bees. So the value of honey bee pollination
to apples is about $40 million.
• Honey bee pollination contributes about $55
million to the value of crops in the state of Florida
alone.
Besides apples, crops that depend at least in part on
honey bee pollination include peaches, soybeans, pears,
pumpkins, cucumbers, cherries, raspberries, blackberries
and strawberries.
Researchers are attempting improve the longevity of
honey bee queens, find effective controls for nosema
protozoa and varroa mites, reduce migratory colony stress
and develop disease control measures. They hope to have
specific recommendations ready for beekeepers to use
to manage their bees more efficiently and improve colony
survival, especially during long range transport. Time
will tell if our efforts will change the plight of this
delicate provider to our fragile eco-system.
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