Honeybees are still Disappearing, 1/3 of the Nation's Food at Stake

I have written about the honeybees before but this is an update. Honeybee keepers are continuing to report losses of up 70% of their colonies in 24 states since last summer. Scientists have dubbed this "colony collapse disorder" and have determined that the bees immune system has shut off, much like the AIDS virus human equivalent. Not only is this a devastation for the honey industry, but it affects the agriculture industry as well, who rely on honeybees to pollinate crops in order to produce fruits and nuts.

Science Fact: 1/3 of the nations food supply depends on honeybee pollination including apples, almonds, blueberries, melons, and citrus fruits.

The "prime suspect" for the collapse, is an increasingly popular class of pesticides called neonicotinoids that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified as highly toxic to honeybees.

According to Pennsylvania State University entomologist Maryann Frazier, honeybees annually pollinate about $14.6 billion worth of U.S. crops and seeds.

Several veteran honeybee keepers around the country are now speaking out saying that now the country will see the lack of attention the bee industry has received in the past few decades. The industry, they say, is on the verge of collapse.



More on The Environmental Blog, Colony Collapse Disorder:

Latest News: Latest Research Shows Pollution Contributing to Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony Collaps Disorder: Honeybees Are Dying!

Clothianidin: a neonicotinoid pesticide highly toxic to Honeybees and other pollinators

Imidacloprid: Another possible link to Colony Collapse Disorder, Bayer Corporation is a possible culprit

Millions of missing bees in Taiwan