The Disappearing Honeybees
Although global climate change has taken centre stage as the major threat to the future of our planet and of the human species, there’s another and perhaps even more urgent matter at hand: the disappearance of honeybees. This global phenomenon has been noticed by beekeepers since 2006, when their honeybee populations started dying off at increasingly rapid rates. In addition to consistent depopulation, there have been increases in incidences of Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (HCCD), in which there is rapid, unexpected and catastrophic loss of bees in a hive. While governments and mainstream society initially ignored the beekeepers’ warning cries, recent scientific research has revealed the seriousness of the problem and prompted those with authority to act immediately to thwart a global crisis.
Researchers are clear on the global extent of the problem, but more is known about some countries and regions than others. In the United States, migratory beekeepers have reported an annual 30 to 90 per cent loss in their colonies since 2006, and non-migratory beekeepers an over 50 per cent annual loss. Similar rates of depopulation have been reported in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and Central and South America. And according to studies, the rate is only going to speed up.
According to a recent U.S. report, many factors are to blame for the honeybee population’s demise. One is the shrinking of their natural habitats due to urban sprawl, which is occurring not only in the U.S. but also across much of the developed and developing world. Another factor is thought to be the increasing use of pesticides and insecticides, and in particular one type of insecticide called neonicotinoids. This chemical is poisonous to not only individual bees but to entire colonies. If one bee takes contaminated nectar and pollen back to the hive, it will create a toxic living environment for the whole colony. The ultimate result of the toxicity is a destruction of the bees’ central nervous systems, leaving them disoriented and unable to fly back to their hives.
A third probable cause is the feeding of high-fructose corn syrup to honeybee colonies. In the United States and some other countries, industrialised bee farms take the maximum amount of honey from hives and leave nothing for the bees to eat during the long winter months. Instead, they feed them high-fructose corn syrup that results in nutrient deficiency and lowered immune systems. With weaker-than-average immune systems, the bees are unable to fight off parasites and viruses that they would normally not be affected by. This has had catastrophic effects on honeybee populations where industrialised beekeeping is a mainstay practice.
But the biggest factor is thought to be a parasite called the Varroa destructor, which is a type of mite. When the Varroa mite was first discovered in 1987, several large chemical manufacturers took advantage of the opportunity to develop and sell insecticides and herbicides to remedy the parasitic invasion. However, as effective as the chemicals were, they had the side effect of weakening the bees’ natural genetic defenses to the parasite. As people were not able to exterminate the parasite as quickly as it spread, and since the bees were increasingly vulnerable as a result of the insecticides and herbicides, the Varroa mite has wipe out much of the North American honeybee population.
The extinction of honeybees would ultimately mean the demise of humankind, something governments are keenly aware of. Around one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants, and honeybees are responsible for about 80 per cent of that pollination. Thus, it’s no surprise that governments are investing significant amounts of money and human resources into solutions for the honeybee crisis.
One such solution is to conserve land that can be used by bees for foraging. This also involves banning the use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides on the land. But there isn’t enough available undeveloped land to set aside strictly for the honeybees, and that’s why governments are simultaneously investing in programs that train urban residents to become amateur beekeepers. Government funding is also available to support urban beekeeping projects, and especially those that collaborate with local urban gardens. Whether or not urban gardens stay natural and pesticide-free can determine the success or failure of urban honeybee colonies, something that bee experts are very concerned about. So fostering partnerships between urban beekeepers and gardeners is a high priority.