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colony collapse disorder

Examining The Decline Of Honey Bees | Earth Wise

December 28, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

For many years, scientists have been sounding the alarm on the global struggle of pollinators.  Many of the invertebrate pollinator species, such as bees and butterflies, are facing extinction. And since 75% of the world’s food crops depend on pollination to some extent, the decline of pollinators poses a major threat to global food security.

Honey bees are among the struggling pollinators.  Over the past 14 years, bee colonies have been disappearing at an alarming rate in what is known as the “colony collapse disorder.” 

In an effort to understand why, scientists have often focused their research on environmental stressors, such as parasites, pesticides, and disease.  But according to new research by entomologists from the University of Maryland, honey bee life spans are simply 50% shorter today than they were 50 years ago.  In the study, which was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers found that honey bees kept in a controlled, laboratory environment lived half as long as honey bees did in the 1970s.  This is the first study to show that genetics – as opposed to environmental stressors – may be influencing the broader trends seen in the beekeeping industry.

When the researchers modeled the effect of their findings on a beekeeping operation, they found that the resulting loss rates were about 33%.  This is similar to the average overwinter and annual loss rates reported by beekeepers during the past 14 years.

The next step is for researchers to compare trends in honey bee life spans across the U.S. and in other countries to see if there are differences in bee longevity. 

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Honey Bee Lifespans are 50% Shorter Today Than They Were 50 Years Ago

Helping Agriculture’s Helpful Honey Bees

Photo, posted June 23, 2007, courtesy of Susan E. Ellis via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Falling Bee Populations

September 9, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

For many years, scientists have been sounding the alarm on the global struggle of pollinators.  A reported 40% of invertebrate pollinator species, including bees and butterflies, are facing extinction. And since as much as three-quarters of the world’s food crops depend on pollination, the decline of these pollinators poses a major threat to global food security.

Pollinators aid in the production of all sorts of crops, including coffee, cacao, cotton, apples, and almonds – to name a few.  The global value of crops requiring pollination ranges from $235-$577 billion annually.

Honey bees are among the struggling pollinators.  Over the past 15 years, bee colonies have been disappearing at an alarming rate in what is known as the “colony collapse disorder.”  Some regions have seen losses of up to 90%. 

In the United States, managed honey bee populations declined by nearly 40% over this past winter, the largest such winter decline since surveying began in 2006.

In recent months, mass honey bee declines have also been reported in Russia, according to the BBC.  Russia, which produces a whopping 110,000 tons of honey annually, expects that figure to drop by as much as 20%.  The widespread bee decline is likely to not only push up honey prices, but the prices of other popular foods as well.  Many staple food crops in Russia, including sunflowers, buckwheat, and fruit trees, rely on bees for pollination.

Experts have blamed the bee decline crisis on a combination of factors, including pesticides (most notably neonicotinoids), varroa mites, and climate change.   

Bees play a vital role in food production, and their continued decline will have devastating consequences. 

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Russia alarmed by large fall in bee populations

Photo, posted July 28, 2019, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

What Is Killing Bees?

July 25, 2016 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/EW-07-25-16-What-Is-Killing-Bees.mp3

The declining populations of bees and other pollinators has been a topic of great concern for a number of years.  There has not been general agreement on the root cause and, in fact, it appears as though there are multiple causes at play.

[Read more…] about What Is Killing Bees?

Carbon Dioxide And Bees

June 21, 2016 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/EW-06-21-16-Carbon-Dioxide-and-Bees.mp3

The decline of bee populations worldwide is a serious problem that threatens much of agriculture.  From 2006 to 2011, losses in managed honeybee colonies in the U.S. averaged 33 percent a year.  In recent years, beekeepers have had to replace 50 percent of their colonies each year.

[Read more…] about Carbon Dioxide And Bees

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