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All Photos by AP Images |
"We've had dramatic losses," honeybee expert Jerry Hayes of the Florida Department of Agriculture told Weekly Reader. "Some commercial beekeepers may have lost thousands of colonies."
The situation is threatening more than honey production. Farmers rely on honeybees to pollinate many crops, from almonds to cucumbers to blueberries. The bee loss may affect crop production.
"One third of the food you and I eat every day can be traced back to honeybees," says Hayes. "If the honeybees aren't there, the grower doesn't have any options. If you don't have honeybees to carry pollen from one crop to another, you get zero crops."
Racing to Solve the Case
The cause of the honeybee loss is currently unknown. Researchers are looking into several possibilities, including viruses, poor nutrition, and pesticides. Until the cause is found, they are calling the syndrome "Colony Collapse Disorder."
"The disorder may be a combination of factors acting together," explains Hayes. "After we find the cause, we can give recommendations to the beekeeping industry."
Until the cause is found, Colony Collapse Disorder continues to threaten crops. That may mean consumers could soon feel the effects. "Honeybees are a vital link in the food chain—from a farmer's production of fruits and vegetables to your table," says Hayes. "Without honeybees, that link is broken."
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- View a map of the states affected by Colony Collapse Disorder.
- Check out this animated look into a bee hive (requires Macromedia Flash plug-in).
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