Beekeepers nationwide are opening their hives and finding them empty, a
\nbaffling phenomenon that has researchers scratching their heads and
\nfarmers worrying about their crops.<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe bees are mysteriously vanishing and no one is sure why. Instead of
\nthriving colonies, beekeepers say they’re typically finding only a
\nqueen and a few attendants left — but no trace of the other bees, not
\neven their bodies.<\/p>\n
\n
\nKnown as colony collapse disorder, the problem has affected beekeepers
\nin 24 states and Canada, with some losing as much as 25 percent to more
\nthan 75 percent of their hives. The sudden unexplained losses have not
\nonly been a financial detriment to many beekeepers but could threaten
\nbillions of dollars worth of crops that depend on the insects for
\npollination.<\/p>\n
\n
\nIn a legislative hearing before the House Subcommittee on Horticulture
\nand Organic Agriculture in March, Gene Brandi, a Merced County
\nbeekeeper and chairman of the California State Beekeepers Association,
\ntold lawmakers that while bee losses are not uncommon, the current
\nailment plaguing bee colonies is much more serious.<\/p>\n
\n
\nHe says about 40 percent of his colonies died over the winter, his
\ngreatest loss in 30 years of business. That equates to a loss of nearly
\n$60,000 in pollination income and another $20,000 in bulk bee sales,
\nplus a cost of $48,000 to restock the 800 dead hives.<\/p>\n
\n
\n“Even though my loss is substantial, other beekeepers throughout the
\ncountry have suffered much great losses,” he says. “Beekeepers who lost
\nover 50 percent of their colonies will have difficulty making up their
\nlosses from their own colonies as I plan to do.”<\/p>\n
\n
\nBees pollination is involved in the production of a wide range of
\nfruits, vegetables and forage crops, but it is perhaps most critical in
\nthe production of almonds. Nearly 1.4 million bee colonies are needed
\neach year to help California’s almond growers set nearly 600,000 acres
\nof this crop, now worth more than $2.4 billion annually. California
\nproduces 80 percent of the world’s almonds, according to the Almond
\nBoard of California.<\/p>\n
\n
\nOther crops dependent on honeybee pollination include apples, avocados,
\ncherries, cranberries, cucumbers, melons and sunflowers.<\/p>\n
\n
\nBut as California’s almond acreage continues to increase, the nation’s
\nbee colonies are dwindling — from 3.2 million in 1986 to 2.4 million
\nin 2006, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. In
\nCalifornia, there were 380,000 bee colonies in 2006, compared to
\n520,000 in 1986.<\/p>\n
\n
To meet growers’ demand, bees are brought in from all over the United States and even Australia to work the fields.<\/p>\n
\n
\n“Each year, as growers we worry about the supply of bees and what the
\nweather is like during the critical pollination period,” California
\nFarm Bureau Federation First-Vice President Paul Wenger, a Stanislaus
\nCounty almond grower, told the House panel. “Our crop fortunes rise or
\nfall on what happens.”<\/p>\n
\n
\nHe noted that he currently pays $130 per hive to pollinate his crop, a
\nsteep price compared to the average rental price of $45 per hive in
\n2003.<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe cause of colony collapse disorder is unknown, although poor
\nnutrition, mites, diseases and pesticides have all been suspect. There
\nis also concern that some genetically modified crops may be producing
\npollen or nectar that is problematic for the bees, says Mr. Brandi.<\/p>\n
\n
\n“Lesser known is the fact that some pesticides can also kill or deform
\nimmature bees, adversely affect queen and drone viability or may cause
\nbees to lose their memory, which prevents them from flying back to
\ntheir hive,” he says.<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe nation’s supply of bees was already in danger before the colony
\ncollapse disorder came along. For many years, beekeepers have been
\ntrying to control the destructive varroa mite, a parasite that has
\ndealt catastrophic losses to the bee industry.<\/p>\n
\n
\nMessrs. Brandi and Wenger say research is the key to overcoming these
\ncurrent problems, noting the need for more scientists and bee experts
\nat the University of Davis to study the insect’s behavior, physiology
\nand genetics. There are currently no active professors of apiculture on
\nthe campus, although one UC Extension apiculturist continues to serve
\nthe industry, Mr. Brandi says. The federal government currently spends
\nless than $10 million a year on bee research.<\/p>\n
\n
\n“The need for additional bee research is obvious,” says Mr. Brandi.
\n“There are just too many unanswered questions that need to be addressed
\nif the bee industry is to survive and perhaps thrive again.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beekeepers nationwide are opening their hives and finding them empty, a baffling phenomenon that has researchers scratching their heads and farmers worrying about their crops. The bees are mysteriously vanishing and no one is sure […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3,44],"organicbytes":[],"countries":[160],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n