Even bees have disorders and syndromes these days. There is a “Honey Bees Hive Collapse Syndrome” or “Colony Collapse Disorder” that actually exists which was first reported in 2006. Beekeepers began reported high colony losses where the adult honeybees simply disappeared from the hives. The queen and her immature bees (brood) were found in the hives with plenty of food stores. Read more about it here.
Honey Bees Hive Collapse Syndrome
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines it as “Colony Collapse Disorder is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. Once thought to pose a major long term threat to bees, reported cases of CCD have declined substantially over the last five years”.
What Causes It?
CCD is very complex and has multiple factors involved. America’s honey bee colonies are dying because of parasites, poor nutrition and disease, and pesticides. Beekeepers are scrambling to salvage the vital insects. Honey bees are affected by acarine and Varroa mites and parasites.
In a study about CCD, 61 factors were evaluated and found that there was no single stressor that stood out as the primary cause. The study did show that colonies affected by CCD had more pathogens than colonies without CCD. Pathogens are disease-causing organisms.
Is it a Problem?
Bees keep the earth’s plants and crops alive through pollination. Depending on who you listen to, or what you read, dying bees are a big issue if they cannot survive in our current agricultural and urban environments. It could very much be a world problem if CCD continues to get worse.
Interesting Facts
Here are some interesting facts about honey bees:
- In a lifetime, the average worker bee makes about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey.
- Bees have two pairs of wings.
- The wings have tiny teeth so they can lock together when the bee is flying.
- Bees communicate through special bee dances and chemical scents called pheromones.
- They have five eyes.
- Honey bees accomplish 80% of the pollination of U.S.’s vegetables, fruits, and seed crops.
- Queens can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day, twice her own body weight per day.
- Worker honey bees are all females.
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