What is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?
- Mar 4, 2017
- 3 min read
Compared to other parts of the world, we (the United States) are very fortunate when it comes to the abundance of food available on a daily basis. But whether we choose to think about it or not, with the wealth of food available to us comes flaws within the food system. One of these flaws is called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which refers to the honeybee population within the United States.
What is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?
Colony Collapse Disorder is more commonly known as the disappearance of honeybees. Beginning in 2006, bee keepers began to report the disappearance of worker bees leaving behind only the queen bee and immature bees known as brood. Unfortunately bee hives are unable to survive without the presence of worker bees and therefore will die. What's confusing about CCD is that there are no dead bodies to account for the loss of worker bees which means that the honeybees are flying off and never returning to their colonies. Reported honeybee losses have ranged from 30% on the west coast, and up to 70% in Texas and the east coast.
Why should we be concerned about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?
Although the loss of honeybees is an unfortunate occurrence on its own, there are many other issues in this world and not everyone is going to be troubled by it. But, if we are interested in continuing to have an abundance of fresh foods then CCD is an issue that we should be concerned about. The truth is honeybees contribute to the pollination of 14 billion dollars worth of seeds and crops in the United States annually. Ultimately all flowering crops are dependent on honeybees for survival including apples, cherries, peaches, zucchinis, celery, strawberries, and soybeans among others. To put this into perspective, California has one of the largest almond orchards in the world which draws more than half of the United State's bee colonies yearly. With the depletion of honeybee colonies aspects of the food supply, like California's almond orchards, will suffer greatly due to lack of natural pollination.
Why is Colony Collapse Disorder occurring?
Though there are many theories being discussed within the environmental community, there is no definite known cause to CCD. Some theories include poor nutrition, exhaustion, stress, viruses, fungi, insecticides/ pesticides, and exposure to limited or contaminated water supply. One possible theory that has been gaining a lot of attention is pesticide use on United State's crops and how this may be affecting the honeybee population. Researchers have concluded that over 99% of samples of honeybee pollen contains at least one pesticide contaminant, and some samples contained up to 35 pesticide contaminants. This is harmful to honeybees because when they pollinate they ingest these pesticides which causes them to be come ill. Pesticides are a plausible cause but it is still unknown as to whether they are the sole cause or a contributing factor to CCD.
What can we do to help?
Since the cause of CCD is still unknown there is not much that we can do to prevent this unfortunate occurrence. Supporting organic and local agriculture supports the use of natural pest removal rather than pesticides. Purchasing crops and other goods from local vendors or purchasing organic produce from the grocery store is a step in the right direction. CCD is not the only issue that is affected by pesticides, and therefore boycotting its use improves the environment as a whole.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about CCD please contact me here. Next time you consume a fruit or vegetable that may have come from a flowering plant be thankful for the honeybees that made it possible.
References:
1. Barrionuevo A. Honeybees vanish, leaving keepers in peril. The New York Times. February 27, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/business/27bees.html. Accessed March 4, 2017.
2. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Colony collapse disorder. United States Environmental Protection Agency Website. https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/colony-collapse-disorder. Updated September 16, 2016. Accessed March 4, 2017.
3. Impact of CCD on U.S. Agriculture. PBS Website. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/silence-of-the-bees-impact-of-ccd-on-us-agriculture/37/. Updated 2016. Accessed March 4, 2017
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