Decline of the Honey Bee

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• Decline of the Honey Bee
• TIP Group 2

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Facts About the Honey Bee

• Communicate the location, distance, quality and
  source of nectar or pollen using dance.(1)
• Every pound of honey produced requires nectar
  collection from 25,000 flights, visiting 2
  million flowers, and 55,000 miles in flight. (2)
• Most subspecies of honeybees are not aggressive
  but the subspecies African honey bee (Apis
  mellifera scutellata) and the hybrid honey bees
  (Africanized honey bees) have been dubbed Killer
  Bees.(3)

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Importance of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

• Fruits and vegetables require pollination to
  reproduce and the honey bee is one of the chief
  pollinators within an ecosystem.
• Honey bees pollinate estimated worth of more than
  15 billion dollars for the foods consumed in the
  U.S.(4,5)

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Value of Honey Bee Pollination

• Economics
• Loss of colonies could seriously affect the
  production of several important crops that rely
  on pollination services provided by commercial
  beekeepers.
• Honey bee pollination contributes about 55
  million to the value of crops in the Florida.
  Besides apples, other crops that depend in part
  on honey bee pollination include peaches,
  soybeans, pears, pumpkins, cucumbers, cherries,
  raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.

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Honey Bee Hive Form and Function

• Honey bee hives are made of wax which is formed
  in hexagon- shaped cells or units.
• Hive cells provide storage for honey, larvae, and
  pollen.
• An active bee hive serves as a giant nursery, a
  honey factory, and a well-protected home.
• Honey bee hives may be domesticated and managed
  by farmers in grow boxes or they may be feral and
  located in wooded areas.

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Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

• In October 2006, U.S. beekeepers began reporting
  losses of 30-90 of their hives. Some colony
  losses are expected during winter weather but the
  magnitude of those reported were highly unusual.
• The domesticated honey bee population has
  experienced a marked decline from 30 to 50 over
  the last two decades. Some pollinators may take
  over some roles of honey bees but not all.
• This phenomenon is termed as Colony Collapse
  Disorder (CCD). There is no documented underlying
  cause currently.
• An indicator of CCD is the absence adult honey
  bees. The queen lives, brood bees are present,
  and honey may remain, but there are no signs of
  dead honey bees in the hive.
• (4, 6)

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Potential causes of CCD associated with declining
numbers of Honey Bees

• Pesticides
• Agriculturalists use chemicals on plant crops to
  deter or kill unwanted insects. Honey bees may
  come into contact with pesticides as they collect
  pollen from these sources and transport it back
  to the hive. Contamination of the hive would
  cause the bees to leave or die off.
• One pesticide contains a substance which affects
  the honey bees navigational ability and has been
  banned in France. (5)

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Potential causes of CCD associated with declining
numbers of Honey Bees

• Malnutrition
• Mono-cropping is a process used by farmers who
  grow few products on a large scale.
• Domesticated honey bees are used as pollinators
  throughout the year for these few products.
• This pollination method does not provide honey
  bees with enough diversity in their diets to
  remain healthy resulting in sick and/or dying
  honey bees. (Its like you eating only wheat for
  every meal for your life)

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Potential causes of CCD associated with declining
numbers of Honey Bees

• Mites
• Researchers have deemed parasitic mites as
  plausible causes of CCD. State apiaries do not
  allow movement of used bee hives and inspect bee
  hives and require them to be boarded up if
  infected with mites
• Varroa destructor mites infect and feed on honey
  bee larvae in the brood cells.
• Mites of the species Nosema apis and Nosema
  ceranae infect the digestive tract of honey
  bees.
• Tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi) invade and
  reproduce in the airways of mature honey bees
  blocking the tubes and leading to asphyxiation.
• Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) is the most
  likely cause of CCD and the marked decline of
  honey bees in the U.S. since 2006. IAPV was first
  identified in Israel in 2004. This virus causes
  bees to develop shivering wings eventually
  leading to paralysis and death outside the hive.
• (5,6)

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Potential causes of CCD associated with declining
numbers of Honey Bees

• Intensive Agriculture
• Bee farmers often move colony hives to different
  locations. Rapid seasonal changes affect
  relocated honey bee colonies and instigates
  stress and confusion within the hive. Bees become
  immuno-compromised and susceptible to diseases
  when in this state.

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What can be done?

• How can you help the honey bees find
• More food
• Healthy diet
• Clean (mite free) home

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Resources

• 1. Tales from the Hive. 1999. PBS. Available from
  http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/dances.html
• 2. . History of CCBA Trivia Facts.2012. Chester
  County Beekeepers Association. http//www.chescobe
  es.org/trivia.htm
• 3. Ellis, J. 2008. Featured Creatures African
  Honey bee. University of Florida Food and
  Agricultural sciences. Available from
  http//entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/bees
  /ahb.htm
• 4. United States Department of Agricultural
  (USDA). (2008). Colony Collapse Disorder A
  Complex Buzz. Published in Agricultural Research
  May/June 2008 issue. http//www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR
  /archive/may08/colony0508.htm
• 5.Khamsi R. (2007). Paralysing virus a suspect in
  disappearing bee mystery. New Scientist, 2261.
  http//www.newscientist.com/article/dn12605
• 6. Kaplan K. (2009). Pathogen Loads Higher in Bee
  Colonies Suffering from Colony Collapse Disorder.
  http//www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090812.htm
• Images provided by Foto Search.
  http//www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/bees.html