Honey Bee Essay

Honey bees produce honey that is favored and enjoyed by many, and they pollinate a large portion of the world’s crops. While their efforts are largely appreciated, their recent troubles have not been given very much attention. Before assessing and understanding their afflictions, one must first have some basic knowledge about the structure/organization of a typical honey bee colony. They are social insects, with each individual bee living to benefit the hive. The survival of the hive depends on the entire colony’s efforts, and its efficiency increases with the population. This is why honey bees can be vulnerable when part of their colony dies or has defects. They lose efficiency, balance, and due to their social behavior, pathogens spread rapidly. This …show more content…
It was created in the 1990s. In a study performed by Pettis et al., imidacloprid caused “a pronounced increase in Nosema growth…within individual bees reared in colonies exposed to a low, sub-lethal level of the pesticide” (1). Nosema is the most common disease that affects honey bees. It can lead the collapse of bee colonies. Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide, which means it is soluble in water and can be absorbed by plants. There have been a few studies that “demonstrated the adverse effects on larval development following exposure to imidacloprid” (Blacquière et al. 1). These studies showed that imidacloprid not only harms adult bees such as foragers and nurses, but it also limits the expansion and growth of a honey bee hive. According to Blacquière et al., “a loss of reproduction (brood) might be more detrimental for the colony than the loss of older bees (foragers)” (1). Systemic insecticides are long-term and need only be applied to the seeds of the crops. They are commonly used for agriculture due to their ease of use and effectiveness. As a result, honey bees are regularly exposed to