posted October 08, 2004 01:20 AM         

The number of domesticated honeybees in the U.S. has declined by about 50%. Unless this changes, many fruits and vegetables may disappear from the food supply.
John Roach writes in National Geographic News that bee pollination is responsible for 15 to 30% of the food we eat. Biologist Claire Kremen is hearing many more stories lately about farmers losing their crops due to the honeybee shortage. Last February, there weren't enough honeybees for all the almond blossoms in California, so some farmers had smaller crops than usual.

Entomologist Dewey Caron says, "…We started to ask, Well, what is affecting the bees? What can we do to keep them healthier?"

The honeybee decline is mostly caused by diseases that are spread by mites and other parasites, as well as the spraying of crops with pesticides. Mites can wipe out a bee colony within a few months.

Researchers are having some success controlling mites by increasing the ventilation of bee colonies. Most hives are airtight, to protect bees from the elements. Caron says, "If anyone on an airplane has a cold, you are exposed to it. If they are sneezing, you have the potential to catch that cold. Bee colonies, too, are airtight. Once the pathogen is in there, it will have a better chance of spreading." They are also trying to find wild bees that are less susceptible to mites and interbreed them with domestic bees.

Decades of pesticide use has also reduced the number of honeybees, though farmers are now learning not to apply them while their crops are blooming. Kremen says, "People are definitely smarter than they used to be about how they apply pesticides."

Entomologist Maryann Frazier says, "…The beekeepers are desperate."

Never underestimate the magical powers of bees.

posted March 05, 2008 06:00 AM         

DISAPPEARANCE OF HONEY BEES *posted in FFA
bees endangered in US *posted in Gaia's Garden

This still seems to be an issue that needs further resolution