Colony Collapse Disorder

NRDC: The Bees’ Needs

admin — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:56:09 +0000

Bees play a central role in our food supply. Congress has held hearings on the issue of vanishing honeybees, but needs to take quick action to support further scientific research into Colony Collapse Disorder, and help beekeepers affected by the disorder to revive their hives so our crops can keep growing.

You can help keep bees healthy by making your yard and garden colorful, diverse and pesticide free. Here are some tips on how you can Bee Safe:

CNNMoney: Disappearing bees threaten ice cream sellers

admin — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:32:54 +0000

It’s one thing to casually notice that we, the human race, face extinction with a dwindling supply of honey bees, but more importantly, our ice cream flavors are so threatened that Baskin-Robbins may be forced to change it’s slogan to “19 Flavors.”

“Haagen-Dazs is warning that a creature as small as a honeybee could become a big problem for the premium ice cream maker’s business. Haagen-Dazs, which is owned by Nestle, said bees are actually responsible for 40% of its 60 flavors - such as strawberry, toasted pecan and banana split.”

Read the full article.

USDA: Imported Bees Not Source of Virus Associated with Colony Collapse Disorder

admin — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:26:13 +0000

CCD became a matter of concern in the winter of 2006-2007 when some beekeepers began reporting losses of 30 to 90 percent of their hives. While colony losses are not unexpected during winter weather, the magnitude and rapidity of loss suffered by some beekeepers was highly unusual.

Read the full article on Colony Collapse Disorder @ USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Colony Collapse Disorder Podcast @ PennState

admin — Wed, 23 May 2007 17:30:01 +0000

Interesting podcast covering Colony Collapse Disorder. Don’t miss.

Could It Be Parasites, Pathogens Or Pesticides?

admin — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:18:03 +0000

In the United States, half a million to a million colonies out of a total 2.4 million colonies have died this winter. Both tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi) and varroa mites (Varroa destructor) have threatened the bee industry since the 1980s, causing similar catastrophic die-offs to bee populations in the winters of 1995-96 and 2000-01. The mites feed on U.S. honeybees and act as a vector for a number of bee viruses, though varroa mites are especially deadly.

Read the full article at ScienceDaily.com

Beekeepers Report Losses of 30% to 90% of their Honeybee Hives

admin — Wed, 02 May 2007 05:44:51 +0000

33938
Recent Honey Bee Colony Declines
March 26, 2007
Download Locations:

	Federation of American Scientists
	National Agricultural Law Center

Summary:

This report examines the recent sharp decline in U.S. honey bee colonies, which scientists are now calling the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This phenomenon first became apparent among commercial migratory beekeepers along the East Coast during the last few months of 2006, and has since been reported nationwide. Honey bees are the most economically valuable pollinators of agricultural crops worldwide. Many scientists at universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) frequently assert that bee pollination is involved in about one-third of the U.S. diet, and contributes to the production of a wide range of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, forage crops, some field crops, and other specialty crops. The monetary value of honey bees as commercial pollinators in the United States is estimated at about $15 billion annually. Honey bee colony losses are not uncommon. However, current losses seem to differ from past situations in that…

Links about Colony Collapse Disorder and Other Resources

admin — Tue, 01 May 2007 06:06:11 +0000

Are Mobile Phones Wiping Out Our Bees?
The Independent. (U.K.)

A report from Landau University, Germany, concerning a study where honey bees failed to return to their hives when mobile phones were placed nearby. This article also reports on the spread of colony collapse disorder to Europe.

Bees Vanish, and Scientists Race for Reasons
The New York Times.

A report on the study of colony collapse disorder from the scientific community.

UCSF Scientist Tracks Down Suspect in Honeybee Deaths
San Francisco Chronicle, April 26, 2007

A UCSF researcher who found the SARS virus in 2003 and later won a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” for his work thinks he has discovered a culprit in the alarming deaths of honeybees across the United States.

What is Killing our Bees?

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 05:15:34 +0000

Will technology befall mankind? There has been a lot of chatter recently on the source behind the unexplained deaths of millions of honey bees. If you understand the process of pollination, you understand the serious consequences of a shortage of bees to pollinate our food sources.

One recent rumor making the rounds is the correlation between cellular and satellite technology on bee behavior. Electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) may be disrupting the sensitive navigation systems of bees, causing them to get disoriented and separated from their hive; ultimately leading to their demise. Fact or fiction, we’ll keep you posted on this extremely important issue.

Colony Collapse Disorder article from ScienceDaily.com

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:20:31 +0000

Bees play an integral role in the world food supply, and are essential for the pollination of over 90 fruit and vegetable crops worldwide, with the economic value of these agricultural products placed at more than $14.6 billion in the U.S. In addition to agricultural crops, honey bees also pollinate many native plants within the ecosystem. Recently, the increased deaths in bee colonies due to CCD seriously threaten the ability of the bee industry to meet the pollination needs of fruit and vegetable producers in the U.S.

The Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group, a collaboration of researchers from around the country including Penn State University, the USDA, the Mailman School’s Greene Lab, and others, are working to identify potential causal factors common to CCD colonies and devise preventative measures to disrupt the disorder, with the ultimate goal to ensure strong colonies for pollination.

Read the full article on Colony Collapse Disorder @ ScienceDaily.com.