Introduction
In October 2006, commercial beekeepers began reporting hive losses of 30% to 90% and though colony losses are not unexpected after a winter season, it was however the degree of the losses that that sparked concerns (Usdagov, 2016). Honeybee disappearances have occurred periodically in the United States since the 1880’s, but the steady decline of the colonies since 1947 through 2005 has been worrisome. It is during that 58 year span, in which honeybee colonies declined from 5.9 Million to 2.4 Million or a total loss of 40% (Problems in Domestic Bee Colonies, 2007). The sudden and inexplicable losses of such large numbers of honeybee colonies being reported in 2006 was alarming across agricultural communities, as it was recognized …show more content…
The first is that adult worker bees leave the hive and never return from their foraging efforts (EPA & OCSPP, 2016). This trait alone has made it difficult for scientists to study the condition, as there is a lack of evidence in dead bodies to be examined. The second characteristic is that the queen and in some cases a small number of worker bees, primarily nursing bees, are the only remaining members of the colony (EPA & OCSPP, 2016). These two characteristics of CCD differ from common large scale colony losses of adult worker bees; since large scale losses of non-infected CCD hives often leave evidence in the form of a mass numbers of bee carcasses near or within the hive. Having a mass of dead bees is a common indicator of acute poisoning from pesticides or other environmental toxins that the bees may have been exposed to (EPA & OCSPP, …show more content…
Honeybees are an integral part of the food web for humans, as honeybees are a prolific pollinators for hundreds of crops such as apples, berries, cotton, melons, fruit trees, soybeans and tomatoes. Some crops are fully dependent upon honeybees as their pollinating source, as is the case of almonds. In general, pollinators account for $24 billion annually to the United States economy with honeybee’s contributions estimated to be at $15 billion (Factsheet,
In October 2006, commercial beekeepers began reporting hive losses of 30% to 90% and though colony losses are not unexpected after a winter season, it was however the degree of the losses that that sparked concerns (Usdagov, 2016). Honeybee disappearances have occurred periodically in the United States since the 1880’s, but the steady decline of the colonies since 1947 through 2005 has been worrisome. It is during that 58 year span, in which honeybee colonies declined from 5.9 Million to 2.4 Million or a total loss of 40% (Problems in Domestic Bee Colonies, 2007). The sudden and inexplicable losses of such large numbers of honeybee colonies being reported in 2006 was alarming across agricultural communities, as it was recognized …show more content…
The first is that adult worker bees leave the hive and never return from their foraging efforts (EPA & OCSPP, 2016). This trait alone has made it difficult for scientists to study the condition, as there is a lack of evidence in dead bodies to be examined. The second characteristic is that the queen and in some cases a small number of worker bees, primarily nursing bees, are the only remaining members of the colony (EPA & OCSPP, 2016). These two characteristics of CCD differ from common large scale colony losses of adult worker bees; since large scale losses of non-infected CCD hives often leave evidence in the form of a mass numbers of bee carcasses near or within the hive. Having a mass of dead bees is a common indicator of acute poisoning from pesticides or other environmental toxins that the bees may have been exposed to (EPA & OCSPP, …show more content…
Honeybees are an integral part of the food web for humans, as honeybees are a prolific pollinators for hundreds of crops such as apples, berries, cotton, melons, fruit trees, soybeans and tomatoes. Some crops are fully dependent upon honeybees as their pollinating source, as is the case of almonds. In general, pollinators account for $24 billion annually to the United States economy with honeybee’s contributions estimated to be at $15 billion (Factsheet,