What's killing the honey bees?

There are about 250,000 species of flowering plants on earth that require pollination. Wind, gravity, water, birds, bats and insects are the forces that accomplish pollination. This process accidentally occurs, as various insects brush against anthers, while they are actually out collecting food.

The honey bee is well adapted for pollination.

Honeybees are needed to pollinate many crops. From the blueberries in Maine to oranges in Florida, across the country to pollinate the almond trees in California, these honey bees are more valuable for their pollination services than for the 209 million pounds of honey they produce annually. In all, honey bees annually pollinate about $14 billion worth of food crops, or one-third of our daily diet.

Without the pollen that honey bees transport, year round, many plants cannot produce fruits, vegetables and seeds. Just imagine walking into your grocery store only to find 1/3 of the food currently available, not on the shelves!

Most of us have heard the stories of the honeybee crisis. Their dwindling population caused by Colony Collapse Disorder has sparked everyone's interest in pollinators and the vital role they play in agriculture. Although the cause of colony collapse disorder remains unknown, there are some possible explanations.

Scientists have found that IAPV, which is the Israeli acute paralysis virus, has been around the United States since at least 2002, and is also associated with Colony Collapse Disorder. One defining trait of CCD is a low number of adult honey bees present.

Researchers suspect pathogens, parasites, environmental stresses, and bee management stresses such as poor nutrition. Honey bees deposit propolis in their hives, which is known as a "bee glue" or caulk. Propolis, a resinous material collected from trees and plants, has antibiotic properties and serves as a hive's initial defense against infection. Many beekeepers have chosen strains of bees that do not produce a lot of propolis, removing one of their initial defenses. Without it, pathogens that the hive would normally be safe from, can now move right in.

Beekeepers all across the country are suffering from drastic loss of bees. Honey bees can be loaded with parasites. Two in particular are the Varroa mite and tracheal mites. Varroa mites feed on bee hemolymph, which is insect "blood" and wreak havoc in hives. Microscopic tracheal mites attach to the bees' breathing aparatus and suck out this hemolymph and inject the bees with bacteria. These tracheal mites also secrete substances that suppress the immune systems of their hosts. This, in turn kills the adult bees. Queen bees play a vital role, which is to lay eggs throughout her 4 years of life.  She is also responsible for keeping the colony together, by secreting pheremones unique to her, which all of the other bees in the colony may recognize.

Bees lack antibodies and have blood cells which are equivalent to human macrophages, which attack and ward off pathogens. This makes the honeybee's exoskeleton the first line of defense against foreign invaders.