Scientists and the public are becoming all abuzz as they learn more about the plight of the honey bee, why they are dying and disappearing and the possible culprits and causes of a dwindling honey bee population. This very small insect has the prime role in the support of the human food chain. Honey bees are the pollinators of fruits, vegetables and nuts.
This brings to light the thought that something like The Bee Movie could actually happen in real life.
Remember in The Bee Movie where Barry and his bee buddies decide to go on strike against the honey companies only to find out the huge impact it had on the world? Not only with respect to the food chain but the impact it had in this case to Barry's florist friend's business?
Think that can't happen? According to much research and science, the honey bee population and the number of bee colonies has been declining since the 1940's. While maybe that seems like business as usual, recent events have brought to light some legitimate concerns with the honey bees and their future here with us.
Scientists and researchers agree they are dealing with something new in recent times. The drastic loss in bee colonies in the past few years has them all concerned.
Some research and statistics state that more than 1/4 of the 2+ million colonies of honey bees have been lost. The Apiary Inspectors of America, a national group that tracks beekeeping, is cited as saying that is tens of billions of bees. They indicate that beekeepers have lost 26% of their colonies between September, 2006 and March, 2007. Every indication is that this trend might continue should a cause not be found, isolated and rectified.
The plight of the honey bees first really came to light and was brought to scientific research when a beekeeper in Pennsylvania contacted an entomologist at Penn State University, Dr. Diane Cox-Foster. This particular beekeeper, David Hackenberg told Dr. Cox-Foster in 2006 that 50% of his bee colonies had collapsed.
The plight of the honey bee and this phenomenon has been aptly named Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD for short).
Much has been stated about Colony Collapse Disorder in recent times as people become more aware of this threat to the honey bee population as colonies disappear. This could incredibly impact the world as we presently know it and drastically alter our food chain.
There was scientfic research that had suggested the honey bees would be extinct in the United States by 2035. It's important to realize that this claim was made prior to the attention really brought to CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder).
Another very interesting point that has been brought to light is that adult worker bees perhaps are not all dying, but rather leaving the hive never to return. Among the probable causes are that they know the colony or they are becoming infected and do not return to spread that. Honey bees are colonists in a community and the community function is not completely understood but is a pretty incredible phenomenon of nature.
There is also a theory that suggest some of the adult honey bees actually get lost before returning to the hive due to atmospheric electromagnetic radiation which is a result of the modern age of cell phones and wireless towers. Further research is still being done in this area which began with a small study in Germany that United States scientists and researchers are now also engaging in.
Penn State is one of the leading researchers with respect to the plight of the honey bee and CCD.
As Scientists perform autopsies of dying honey bees they are finding that they have one or a series of ailments that could account for their population decline.
There has been much speculation as to what could be causing this alone or in combination to cause this threat to this crucial insect to humanity. Among the many speculated causes and combinations mentioned are:
The emergence in the United States of the Asian Mite in the 1980's
Viruses that develop in the hives and cause a decline in the population's immune system
Pesticides and herbicides are chemicals which also can weaken the bee's immune system
Global Warming
Radiation from modern devices (like cell phones and wireless towers) as mentioned above.
Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) which is an affliction of the honey bee that originated in Great Brittain but most scientists agree has now become a global concern with honey bee colonies
As scientists and researchers continue to investigate the causes, culprits or combinations thereof that threaten the honey bees' way of life, it is important to create awareness for the problem.
While events in The Bee Movie when pollination stopped are totally fictional, they may become non-fiction if Colony Collapse Disorder and the plight of the honey bee isn't addressed.
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Contributor's Note
I am sharing this intel not as a scientist nor do I claim to have a great many answers here. Rather this intel is the result of much research on the internet on the subject. Saving our planet is a passion of mine. I am a self employed business owner and I'm excited that our company recently partnered with Penn State to help the plight of the honey bee. I am proud to be an Independent Distributor with a company that is contributing a portion of the sales from our Honey Bee Vanilla candle line to the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State University. This supports and aids them in the continuance of this worthwhile research that could drastically impact the world around us and even our daily diets.
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