Yes, bees are plant savers. Without them our forests and gardens would not exist. The recent bee shortage should be alarming to all of us. This shortage of honey bees is called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD hasn’t been featured on major news outlets recently and many people have forgotten about it but if Honeybees continue to die off rapidly and in record numbers chances are that everyone will be paying attention sooner or later. With 1/3 of the US food supply depending on pollinated crops the possibility of an upcoming major food shortage is very real. PlantSavers.com specializes in bringing awareness to the CCD phenomena. Read on to learn everything you need to know about it.
To date, no one is really certain exactly what is causing Colony Collapse Disorder in Honeybees. There are numerous theories that have not been proven or disproven. The strange bee shortage continues to remain a mystery as scientists are struggling to find answers.
Is it Poison?
Are we slowly poisoning Honeybees with various pesticides and insecticides? Some insecticides and pesticides previously thought of as being harmless to bees are now coming into question as mass use is coinciding with large scale colony deaths.
Is it Diet?
Farmers and Beekeepers have been keeping colonies of bees near similar crops. This in of itself may be resulting in the Honeybees being unable to obtain adequate nutrition. This theory supposes that Honeybees are similar to humans in needing a variety of foods to provide needed nutrients. Without this diversity, the bees suffer and succumb to Colony Collapse Disorder.
This would seem to be a viable theory as poor nutrition can cause decreased immune system function. Bees would become increasingly susceptible to viruses, toxins, and fungi as the quality of their health decreased.
Is it Disease?
Bees are susceptible to viruses and fungi. There have been studies suggesting that bees may be suffering from an attack of both in combination but this study is currently in question due to the possibility that researches were financially motivated by the Bayer Corporation. Whether or not this is true, it does remain a possibility that hasn’t been excluded.
Is it Technology?
Are cell phones and wireless devices causing interference for bees and causing Colony Collapse Disorder? This technology is currently being utilized by almost every country and use is growing exponentially. Colony Collapse Disorder is a relatively new phenomenon and so is most of this technology. Many people believe that this is a primary reason for CCD including most PlantSavers.com readers.
This theory itself poses significant questions. Cell phones and other advanced technological devices have been providing mankind with numerous benefits. If it was discovered to be true, how would humanity address curing this problem? Would humanity give up these technological advances?
Is it a Combination of Causes?
While the last theory seems to have the most evidence to support it at first glance chances are that the factors involved in the disorder are extremely complex. If this were not so, then scientists would have discovered the cause long before now. Colony Collapse Disorder is most likely caused by several factors in unison.
Is it Greed?
With the recent scandal involving the Bayer corporation paying a researcher to come up with results favoring disease over poison in order to assist Bayer in avoiding a huge lawsuit, it is plausible that much vital research is being buried or overlooked for financial reasons. Humans are notorious for ignoring the common good and favoring individual or group benefits even to their long term detriment. It seems everyone is betting that a method for saving bees or making them more resistant to Colony Collapse Disorder will be discovered and the world will be a happy place once more.
Instead humans may find themselves facing severe food shortages and starvation in the near future with little hope of their ill-gotten gain saving them. Check back on PlantSavers.com in the future to learn the latest news on CCD and beekeeping.