Beekeeper Bee Losses

Beekeeper Bee Losses



 
Feb 2007 - U.S. beekeepers are 
baffled by an alarming die-off of honey bees across the 
nation. Two dozen states have been affected by "colony 
collapse disorder" (CCD) and as more beekeepers in cold 
wintering locations get into their colonies, the number of 
states affected is expected to grow. 
Industry experts say the situation has beekeepers fighting for 
commercial survival and crop growers wondering whether bees 
will be available to pollinate their crops this spring and 
summer. 
"This has become a highly significant yet poorly understood 
problem that threatens the pollination industry and the 
production of commercial honey in the United States," said 
Maryann Frazier, apiculture extension associate at Penn State 
University. 
"During the last three months of 2006, we began to receive 
reports from commercial beekeepers of an alarming number of 
honey bee colonies dying in the eastern United States," 
Frazier said. "Since the beginning of the year, beekeepers 
from all over the country have been reporting unprecedented 
losses." 
"There is little doubt that honey bees are going to be in 
short supply this spring and possibly into the summer," 
Frazier added. 
Reports on their losses coming from beekeepers vary widely. 
Some commercial beekeepers are reporting their losses as about 
the same as the last several years. Others report losing 
thousands of colonies: one lost 11,000 of his 13,000 colonies; 
another 700 of 900; another 2500 of 3500; another virtually 
all of his 10,000. 
Researchers are scrambling to determine what is causing the 
affliction and to develop management strategies and 
recommendations for beekeepers. 
They contend that mites and associated diseases, some unknown 
pathogenic disease and pesticide contamination or poisoning 
are likely factors causing or contributing to CCD. 
Initial studies of dying colonies revealed a large number of 
disease organisms present, with no one disease being 
identified as the culprit. 
Ongoing case studies and surveys of beekeepers experiencing 
CCD have found a few common management factors, but no common 
environmental agents or chemicals have been identified.

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