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Apiculture, or the maintenance of honey bee hives and colonies by humans, is an ancient art and, over the course of its more than 3,000 year history, it has weathered pests and plagues, setbacks and disasters. Still, in centuries of practice, nothing has been as alarming as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a mysterious occurrence first observed in 2004, which has spread to epidemic proportions throughout the United States and parts of Europe.
Hives affected with CCD are abandoned by the worker bees, seemingly without reason. The disorder is still poorly understood and no precise cause has yet been determined. Many believe that the worker bees become disoriented and lose their ability to find the hive. Others have proposed biotic reasons, arguing that infestations of pests in the hive increase stress levels among the bees, eventually forcing them to flee. A virus has also been identified as a contributing factor, but it is unlikely to be working alone.
The race to find the cause and a dependable solution to this problem has clear motivation. As the New York Times explained, "honeybees are arguably the insects that are most important to the human food chain. They are the principal pollinators of hundreds of fruits, vegetables, flowers and nuts." Without them, our food supply would shrink, certainly in terms of variety but also, likely, in portion as well.
The day when summer fields are more silent, the buzzing of bees absent will be the day our plates are less full and less colorful. Unfortunately, this day may not be too far away. Already, more than a quarter of the country's bees have been lost. 2.4 million colonies in more than 25 states have been abandoned. The situation is dire, but you can help. Starting a small beehive in your backyard, planting a bee-friendly garden, and writing your elected officials are all simple things that can make a big difference. So get started saving the bees today; they need all the help they can get.
For more of the latest environmental news, watch Focus Earth: April 11, 2009: A Bee Mystery & an Antarctic Collapse.
Read more about insects:
Battle Backyard Pests, the Green Way: No Green Thumb Necessary
How to Map Migrating Monarch Butterflies
Greensburg Glossary: Pesticides
Composting Basics: Compost Without a Yard
