The Silence of the Bees

You may have heard about the mystery surrounding the disappearance of honey bees--now PBS has a special called Silence of the Bees on Nature airing this Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 7 pm MDT.

Last winter there were growing reports of bees not returning to their hives. Come spring, over 25% of the estimated 2.4 million hives had suffered from a new disorder called CCD--Colony Collapse Disorder. This mysterious ailment has scientists flummoxed and the agricultural industry scared.

"The role honeybees play in our diet goes beyond honey production. These seemingly tireless creatures pollinate about one-third of crop species in the U.S. Honeybees pollinate about 100 flowering food crops including apples, nuts, broccoli, avocados, soybeans, asparagus, celery, squash and cucumbers, citrus fruit, peaches, kiwi, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, melons, as well as animal-feed crops, such as the clover that's fed to dairy cows. Essentially all flowering plants need bees to survive." Nature

A break came in September when researchers identified a virus, IAPV or Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus in sample colonies. The virus was introduced from honeybees imported from Australia--which only became legal in 2004. Many scientists believe there is more going on than just the virus, theorizing that stress plays a major part in making the honeybees susceptible (just like humans and plants). Loss of habitat, insecticides and poor nutrition contribute to their demise.

You can help these industrious workers by providing habitat with a diverse offering of flowering plants. Plant multiples of the same species in drifts and don't use insecticides. I'll write more about which species of flowers are good for this region in a later post. Contact your representatives in Congress encouraging them to pass legislation that regulates the importation of insects into the US. More information on CCD and how to help.

(photo: jurimf )