To bee or not to bee

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

We’ve been concerned about bee populations for a while now, since the minute the reports of colony collapses began to be reported.  Those of us who garden truly understand the benefit of bees, and by now I think most of us appreciate the impact of bees on our food sources.  It’s said that Einstein predicted the end of mankind within four years without bees.

A report out yesterday indicates that bee health in commercial colonies has declined even since last year.

A survey of bee health released Tuesday revealed a grim picture, with 36.1 percent of the nation’s commercially managed hives lost since last year.

Last year’s survey commissioned by the Apiary Inspectors of America found losses of about 32 percent.

As beekeepers travel with their hives this spring to pollinate crops around the country, it’s clear the insects are buckling under the weight of new diseases, pesticide drift and old enemies like the parasitic varroa mite, said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, president of the group.

This is the second year the association has measured colony deaths across the country. This means there aren’t enough numbers to show a trend, but clearly bees are dying at unsustainable levels and the situation is not improving, said vanEngelsdorp, also a bee expert with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Pennsylvania has committed an additional $20,400 into Colony Collapse Disorder research at Penn State, bringing the total funds dedicated to investigating CCD to $86,000.  That doesn’t seem like nearly enough money to me to investigate something that could impact us all so radically.

Just last year Pennsylvania apple growers, as well as fruit growers throughout the region, had trouble getting enough bees to pollinate their acreage.  The cost of renting commercial bees increased by 60%.  With the greater decline, rental prices will likely increase again, and farmers will be forced to pass on the extra costs to consumers.

So what can you and I do?  No one really knows exactly what’s killing off the bees, but we can support wild bee habitats.  Honeybees are not the only good pollinators - bumblebees and Mason bees are also prized for pollination.  To make your yard or patio bee-friendly, grow plants that have plenty of nectar and pollen.  Feed the bees!  Avoid pesticides and other harsh chemicals.  And be sure to give bees a place to live.  You can purchase bee habitats, but you can just as easily build your own.