IntelEfficient

Honey bees may seem mildly threatening on a summer day, but for the most part they just go about their business and leave us alone.  The interesting thing is that their business is big business, involving not just honey production but pollination of about $15 billion in crops each year, representing a third of our food supply.  The real threat is what’s happening to our honey bee population in recent years.

A phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder has scientists baffled.  Since 2006, honey bee populations have declined precipitously, with annual declines of averaging 30 percent in the US.  Several European countries have experienced similar declines.

There may in fact be no single reason for this decline.  Researchers have looked at viruses, parasites, pesticides and malnutrition, but have not been able to conclusively determine the cause of the problem.  It’s normal to experience annual declines of 10 percent during the winter.  According the American Beekeepers Association, domestic beekeepers have experienced losses ranging from 30 to 50 percent in each of the last 4-5 years. Read the rest of this entry »