the U.S. All told, honey bee pollination adds
more than $16 billion annually to the value of
agricultural crops in the U.S. and up to $296
billion globally.
In the U.S., about three-fourths of bee
pollination comes from managed honey
bees, and the rest from wild bees and other
pollinators. There are between 2.6 and 3.3
million managed bee colonies in the U.S.
Commercial beekeepers normally have more
than 300 hives each, which they transport
around the country to provide pollination
services to farmers. Unfortunately, commercial
beekeepers have reported serious losses since
2006, with two causes attracting a lot of buzz:
Colony Collapse Disorder and winter losses.
Consider the European Union, which
suspended neonicotinoid use in 2013. Farmers in
Germany and England growing rapeseed (canola
oil) experienced devastating crop losses without
the protection of these pesticides, but with little
positive impact on honey bees for the cost. By
contrast, neonicotinoids are still used in Australia,
but with no history of the Varroa mite there, honey
bees don’t appear to suffer the losses seen in
Europe and the U.S.
Other leading causes of decline include
weather, insufficient hive management, other
pests, viruses, the nosema fungi, and a lack of
diversity or availability of other sources of pollen
and nectar. Even managed bee colonies used to
pollinate crops require additional nearby pollen
and nectar sources. Urbanization, development
and landscaping near farm land or bee colony
sites have reduced flowering plants, brush and
other plants essential to supporting bees and
other pollinators.
CCD is a syndrome with tell-tale signs but
no clear cause: the adult bees have vanished,
but a live queen, honey and immature bees
remain. In 2006, beekeepers reported CCD
losses of 30 to 90 percent. Similar mentions of
bee disappearances also occurred in the 1880s,
A wide range of stakeholders – beekeepers,
1920s and 1960s. Other unusual colony losses
regulators, farmers, ranchers, academic
have occurred locally in some parts of the U.S. for researchers, and federal agencies – are engaged
the past two centuries.
cooperatively in trying to find solutions. Federal
agencies have been directed to build pollinator
General losses occur to some degree every
habitats into their landscaping, construction and
winter. Beekeepers can sustain normal losses of
environmental preservation plans, and highway
less than 18.9 percent. However, winter losses
rights-of-way. Pollinator habitat preservation also
have averaged much higher— 29.6 percent -- for played a role in maintaining the conservation
the past eight years. Total losses declined a bit
reserve program in the 2008 and 2014 farm bills.
to 23.2 percent in 2013-2014 (compared to a
Farmers and other landowners can do their parts
steep loss of 30.5 percent in 2012-2013 and 36
as well, through responsible pesticide use and by
percent in 2007-2008). Of course, these numbers maintaining pollinator habitat.
represent the average: Some states saw losses
as high as 65 percent and others as low as 12
State and local pollinator plans foster the
percent in 2013-2014.
cooperation, good management and ongoing
research that are all critical to protecting honey
Despite numerous claims of “smoking guns,”
bees, and essential to preventing the sharp
ranging from neonicotinoid pesticides to cell
sting that consumers could feel from lower food
phones, researchers haven’t narrowed bee
supplies and higher prices.
decline to any single cause. A 2012 Report on the
National Stakeholders Conference on Honey Bee
Robert Giblin writes, speaks and consults
Health underscored that there are multiple factors about agricultural and food industry issues,
associated with CCD, the Varroa mite being one
policies and trends.
of the most important.
photo credit: Dmytro Smaglov/dollarphotoclub.com
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 15