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June 22 - 28 marks National Pollinator Week, when we “appreciate the hard working animals that help pollinate over 75 percent of our flowering plants and nearly 75 percent of our crops,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Flowering plants require pollination, the transfer of pollen grains between flowers of the same species, in order to reproduce and bear fruit. Birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, beetles and even the wind transfer pollen among flowers.
Honeybees in particular are central to pollination. Farmers frequently rent commercial honeybee colonies: bee colonies are driven to the farms, allowed to pollinate crops and then removed. Commercial colonies can be driven around the country to pollinate multiple farms.
One of the primary causes of honeybee death worldwide is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), characterized by a nearly complete absence of adult bees with little or no dead bees in and around the colony. Without adult bees to work, the colony is doomed to collapse.
Scientists are unsure as to the causes of CCD. A 2007 study found a correlation between collapsed colonies and infection with the Israeli acute paralysis virus, a virus of unknown origin first identified in Israel and found throughout the world. However, researchers did not show that the Israeli acute paralysis virus causes CCD.
In February, scientists in Spain reported two cases of apparent CCD associated with a parasite infection (the microsporidium Nosema ceranae). No other significant pathogens or pesticides were detected, but this is not proof that Nosema infection causes CCD.
Perhaps a combination of factors, such as poor nutrition, pesticide exposure and mite and viral infections leads to CCD.
Why would a promising young scientist leave the lab to spend a year working for the United States government? Daniel Gorelick is here at the State Department trying to figure that out.
Comments (3)
Kris van der Merwe
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
June 30, 2009 at 07:19 EDT
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Colony collapse is caused by artificial hives
Unhygienic hives create a breeding ground for bee illnesses and explain the many illnesses attributed to “colony collapse disorder” (Just like damp, drafty houses cause illnesses in humans).
The design of domestic (artificial) bee hives make bees vulnerable to pests (for an illustration see http://vandermerwe.co.nz/?p=8 )
Organic and in-organic dirt land at the bottom of the beehive (the hive entrance). Bees walk in and out over accumulated dirt, providing an ideal opportunity for Varroa, pests and disease to spread.
The hive is an ecosystem that include bees and bee pests. The introduction of the artificial hive has changed this ecosystem, allowing pests to evolve their behavior to gain a competitive advantage. This explains the delay since the introduction of artificial hives and the onset of colony collapse disorder.
Regards
Kris van der Merwe
Daniel Gorelick
America.gov Staff
July 1, 2009 at 10:11 EDT
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Kris,
Thanks for your interesting comment on CCD. I enjoyed your online illustration.
Nathalie Haymann
Location: Western Australia
August 15, 2009 at 00:55 EDT
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Beeologics, an Israeli company, has developed a gene altering drug - Remembee - and completed clinical trials on millions of bees in North America. Honey bees fed with Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus-specific dsRNA are supposed to triple their honey production, grow in size and live longer. Bees infected with the live IAPV by itself however, die rapidly, with spasms and paralytic siezures.
Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus was first discovered in Israel in 2002 and is a significant marker for Colony Collapse Disorder - the presence of IAPV being the highest indicator, with a 96.1% correlation.
None of this is reassuring.