Dennis vanEngelsdorp Honey Bee Diagnostic Lab FAQ
Are honey bees endangered? Are they going extinct?
How would the loss of honey bees impact agriculture and food choices in the grocery store?
What is Colony Collapse Disorder and it is wiping out honey bees?
What are the current causes of honey bee colony losses?
What are the effects of pesticides on honey bee health?
What are the most common diseases honey bees face?
What steps are beekeepers taking to prevent disease and improve colony health?
Why is poor nutrition a problem? Why are honey bee colonies starving?
What steps can everyday citizens take to help save the bees?
How does habitat loss affect bees?
For more information check out these Links
Are honey bees endangered? Are they going extinct?
How would the loss of honey bees impact agriculture and food choices in the grocery store?
What is Colony Collapse Disorder and it is wiping out honey bees?
What are the current causes of honey bee colony losses?
What are the effects of pesticides on honey bee health?
What are the most common diseases honey bees face?
What steps are beekeepers taking to prevent disease and improve colony health?
Why is poor nutrition a problem? Why are honey bee colonies starving?
What steps can everyday citizens take to help save the bees?
How does habitat loss affect bees?
For more information check out these Links
Are honey bees endangered? Are they going extinct?
In short: no. The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a species of bee that was introduced to the United Stated by European colonists in the 1600’s for honey. The honey bee is the species of bee that beekeepers manage for honey and crop pollination in both Europe and North America; their population is large and worldwide. Because we depend so heavily on the pollination services provided by honey bees, their health status and colony numbers are intensively monitored by researchers. This monitoring effort provides information about honey bee colonies in the United States over many years, allowing trends to be easily visualized. This monitoring effort has allowed to visualize the recent honey bee health crisis; rates of colony losses have been high in recent years and heavy losses place enormous financial strain on beekeepers. But, the overall number of honey bee colonies in North America has been relatively stable over the last two decades because beekeepers have been able to replace their losses by splitting colonies and installing new packages of honey bees. In conclusion, yes, honey bee colonies are dying every year, but because beekeepers can anticipate and replace those losses, the total number of honey bee colonies in the United States is currently stable. So, why then, are there news articles talking about bees being endangered?
What most people don’t know is that there are many thousands of wild, native bee species world-wide. In North America it has been estimated that there are about 4,000 species of native bees and the state of Maryland alone is home to more than 430 species of native bees. These native bees include things like bumble bees, carpenter bees, leaf cutter and mason bees, sweat bees, miner bees, and digger bees. These native bees are also important pollinators, and contribute valuable pollination to both crops and many wild flower species. However, most of these pollinators have not been monitored closely like honey bees are and recently, scientists have realized that some of these bee species are facing similar issues to honey bees. For example, the rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), one of the 46 species of bumble bee found in North America, used to be a common species, found throughout the Northeastern United States. The rusty-patched bumble bee declined rapidly in 1996 and since then has rarely been seen anywhere in its former range. Because of this population decline, scientists have proposed putting this species on the Endangered species list.
Because there are so many bees in North America and most people are broadly unfamiliar with them, the word “bee” is used loosely and can be used for honey bees at times and other for native bees. Which can be confusing and potentially alarming when “bee” is followed by phrases like: “endangered” or “going extinct.” Before panicking, it is important to look at which species of bee the article is talking about. Honey bees are not currently close to being endangered and therefore are not close to becoming extinct but this is not true for all native bee species.
In short: no. The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a species of bee that was introduced to the United Stated by European colonists in the 1600’s for honey. The honey bee is the species of bee that beekeepers manage for honey and crop pollination in both Europe and North America; their population is large and worldwide. Because we depend so heavily on the pollination services provided by honey bees, their health status and colony numbers are intensively monitored by researchers. This monitoring effort provides information about honey bee colonies in the United States over many years, allowing trends to be easily visualized. This monitoring effort has allowed to visualize the recent honey bee health crisis; rates of colony losses have been high in recent years and heavy losses place enormous financial strain on beekeepers. But, the overall number of honey bee colonies in North America has been relatively stable over the last two decades because beekeepers have been able to replace their losses by splitting colonies and installing new packages of honey bees. In conclusion, yes, honey bee colonies are dying every year, but because beekeepers can anticipate and replace those losses, the total number of honey bee colonies in the United States is currently stable. So, why then, are there news articles talking about bees being endangered?
What most people don’t know is that there are many thousands of wild, native bee species world-wide. In North America it has been estimated that there are about 4,000 species of native bees and the state of Maryland alone is home to more than 430 species of native bees. These native bees include things like bumble bees, carpenter bees, leaf cutter and mason bees, sweat bees, miner bees, and digger bees. These native bees are also important pollinators, and contribute valuable pollination to both crops and many wild flower species. However, most of these pollinators have not been monitored closely like honey bees are and recently, scientists have realized that some of these bee species are facing similar issues to honey bees. For example, the rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), one of the 46 species of bumble bee found in North America, used to be a common species, found throughout the Northeastern United States. The rusty-patched bumble bee declined rapidly in 1996 and since then has rarely been seen anywhere in its former range. Because of this population decline, scientists have proposed putting this species on the Endangered species list.
Because there are so many bees in North America and most people are broadly unfamiliar with them, the word “bee” is used loosely and can be used for honey bees at times and other for native bees. Which can be confusing and potentially alarming when “bee” is followed by phrases like: “endangered” or “going extinct.” Before panicking, it is important to look at which species of bee the article is talking about. Honey bees are not currently close to being endangered and therefore are not close to becoming extinct but this is not true for all native bee species.
How would the loss of honey bees impact agriculture and food choices in the grocery store?
Honey bees are very important pollinators for human food including fruits and vegetables, nuts, and other specialty crops. They provide pollination services valued at over $15 billion in the United States alone. One in every three bites you eat is pollinated either directly or indirectly by an insect pollinator. Honey bees are the most common and most heavily managed insect pollinator. Honey bees pollinate crops like berries, oranges, almonds, apples, melons, tomatoes, and many other fruits, vegetables, and nuts. However, not all crops rely on insect pollination, for example, wheat is a wind pollinated crop and therefore some crops, like wheat, corn and rice, would not be in short-supply without honey bees. Without honey bees, you would expect to see less variety and color in the produce section of your grocery store.
Honey bees are very important pollinators for human food including fruits and vegetables, nuts, and other specialty crops. They provide pollination services valued at over $15 billion in the United States alone. One in every three bites you eat is pollinated either directly or indirectly by an insect pollinator. Honey bees are the most common and most heavily managed insect pollinator. Honey bees pollinate crops like berries, oranges, almonds, apples, melons, tomatoes, and many other fruits, vegetables, and nuts. However, not all crops rely on insect pollination, for example, wheat is a wind pollinated crop and therefore some crops, like wheat, corn and rice, would not be in short-supply without honey bees. Without honey bees, you would expect to see less variety and color in the produce section of your grocery store.
What is Colony Collapse Disorder and it is wiping out honey bees?
The term Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was originally intended to describe a specific set of symptoms, however, the definition of the term has broadened to define all unexplained colony loss. For the sake of clarity, scientists try to use the term CCD only to report a specific set of symptoms, and the terms “mortality” and “colony loss,” to report all types of colony loss, explained or unexplained. In his original meaning, CCD describes a colony that has suddenly and mysteriously lost a majority of its adult worker bees, who disappear without a trace (or dead body around the hive), leaving behind a queen, brood, and food in the hive. The symptoms are very similar to those observed by beekeepers in the past, and were once described by the terms autumn collapse, fall dwindle disease, May disease, spring dwindle, and disappearing disease. These terms were replaced by CCD, coined in 2006 by a beekeeping-scientist task force formed in response to alarming and mysterious colony collapses observed that year. Ten years later, the cause(s) of CCD is/are still unidentified, but it is not a major driver of losses anymore. It’s been a couple years since the symptoms of CCD were last observed in commercial operations and the industry is currently more concerned with trying to prevent colony mortality from persistent problems such as Varroa, diseases, pesticides, or lack of forage.
The term Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was originally intended to describe a specific set of symptoms, however, the definition of the term has broadened to define all unexplained colony loss. For the sake of clarity, scientists try to use the term CCD only to report a specific set of symptoms, and the terms “mortality” and “colony loss,” to report all types of colony loss, explained or unexplained. In his original meaning, CCD describes a colony that has suddenly and mysteriously lost a majority of its adult worker bees, who disappear without a trace (or dead body around the hive), leaving behind a queen, brood, and food in the hive. The symptoms are very similar to those observed by beekeepers in the past, and were once described by the terms autumn collapse, fall dwindle disease, May disease, spring dwindle, and disappearing disease. These terms were replaced by CCD, coined in 2006 by a beekeeping-scientist task force formed in response to alarming and mysterious colony collapses observed that year. Ten years later, the cause(s) of CCD is/are still unidentified, but it is not a major driver of losses anymore. It’s been a couple years since the symptoms of CCD were last observed in commercial operations and the industry is currently more concerned with trying to prevent colony mortality from persistent problems such as Varroa, diseases, pesticides, or lack of forage.
What are the current causes of honey bee colony losses?
Honey bees colonies can die off for a multitude of reasons: pests, diseases, but also accidents, management errors,... It can be difficult to determine the cause of death of a particular colony, because some of those factors can also interact. Scientists generally agree that honey bees are suffering from a confluence of factors contributing to reduced health and increased colony mortality. Most honey bee mortality is helpfully explained by the three P’s of colony loss: 1) pests and pathogens (mites, viruses, bacterial infections, and disease), 2) poor nutrition due to land use change, and 3) pesticides.
Honey bees colonies can die off for a multitude of reasons: pests, diseases, but also accidents, management errors,... It can be difficult to determine the cause of death of a particular colony, because some of those factors can also interact. Scientists generally agree that honey bees are suffering from a confluence of factors contributing to reduced health and increased colony mortality. Most honey bee mortality is helpfully explained by the three P’s of colony loss: 1) pests and pathogens (mites, viruses, bacterial infections, and disease), 2) poor nutrition due to land use change, and 3) pesticides.
What are the effects of pesticides on honey bee health?
Pesticide is one of the 3 major factors impacting honey bee health, together with pests/pathogens and poor nutrition. The risk of pesticides is a combination between exposure and toxicity. A highly toxic compound that is never entering in contacts with bees would be characterized as a low risk; conversely a mildly toxic compound to which bees are in frequent contact could be characterized as a high risk. Both aspects needs to be assessed when determining the risk of a pesticide.
Bees can enter into contact with pesticide in different ways. Foragers may encounter pesticides outside the hive when visiting flowers to collect nectar and pollen, when drinking water, or when retrieving other substances such as propolis. After returning to colony, contaminated substances may be spread throughout the hive, exposing the rest of the colony to the risk of contamination or poisoning. Pesticides are also introduced directly to hives by beekeepers to control Varroa destructor – a mite that parasitizes western honey bees and is perhaps one of the most devastating problems honey bees face today. Several of these types of chemicals, used by beekeepers as medicine to control Varroa infestation, have been shown to have negative side effects as well.
Honey bees may be affected immediately, causing observable symptoms or poisoning (acute effects), or they might be affected slowly in subtle, less visible, ways (sub-lethal effects). Many pesticides, even those deemed safe for bees, can impact bee health in subtle ways by interacting with the bees detoxification mechanisms, or by interacting with other chemicals present in the bees’ pesticides to increase their chemical sensitivity. Sub-lethal pesticide exposure can also add stress to the honey bee immune system, making them more susceptible to pathogenic infection and disease. There is still a lot we don’t know about the effects of pesticides: how do they interact with other stressors, or with each other? How do they affect developing brood or queen reproduction, or male fertility? There is also a strong research bias in that most studies focus on honey bees, but very few have looked at the effects on native bees.
Not all pesticides are equal in terms of toxicity to honey bees. Neonicotinoids (Neonics) have gained a lot of attention in the media lately because they have been shown to be extremely toxic to bees. Even in low quantities, they may affect bees’ ability to navigate back to the colony, or to successfully forage. Neonics are the most widely used class of insecticides. They are most often used in seed coatings treatments of agricultural plants, but they can also be found in some foliar spray formulations. The method of application is actually very important to determine the risk of the pesticide, as different methods can result in different levels of contact with bees.
Bees can be exposed to neonics when foraging on the pollen or nectar of the seed-treated plant, but studies have shown those residues to be extremely low. Most residues found are actually a result of foliar sprays. Some foliar sprays are actually restricted by law (as indicated on their labels) during bloom when bees are present.
While neonics do pose a threat to bees, we have found very few instances of neonic presence in honey bee collected pollen samples in Maryland. This is great news, and also reminds us that while pesticides are an important part of the picture, honey bee colony losses are due to many problems working at the same time.
Pesticide is one of the 3 major factors impacting honey bee health, together with pests/pathogens and poor nutrition. The risk of pesticides is a combination between exposure and toxicity. A highly toxic compound that is never entering in contacts with bees would be characterized as a low risk; conversely a mildly toxic compound to which bees are in frequent contact could be characterized as a high risk. Both aspects needs to be assessed when determining the risk of a pesticide.
Bees can enter into contact with pesticide in different ways. Foragers may encounter pesticides outside the hive when visiting flowers to collect nectar and pollen, when drinking water, or when retrieving other substances such as propolis. After returning to colony, contaminated substances may be spread throughout the hive, exposing the rest of the colony to the risk of contamination or poisoning. Pesticides are also introduced directly to hives by beekeepers to control Varroa destructor – a mite that parasitizes western honey bees and is perhaps one of the most devastating problems honey bees face today. Several of these types of chemicals, used by beekeepers as medicine to control Varroa infestation, have been shown to have negative side effects as well.
Honey bees may be affected immediately, causing observable symptoms or poisoning (acute effects), or they might be affected slowly in subtle, less visible, ways (sub-lethal effects). Many pesticides, even those deemed safe for bees, can impact bee health in subtle ways by interacting with the bees detoxification mechanisms, or by interacting with other chemicals present in the bees’ pesticides to increase their chemical sensitivity. Sub-lethal pesticide exposure can also add stress to the honey bee immune system, making them more susceptible to pathogenic infection and disease. There is still a lot we don’t know about the effects of pesticides: how do they interact with other stressors, or with each other? How do they affect developing brood or queen reproduction, or male fertility? There is also a strong research bias in that most studies focus on honey bees, but very few have looked at the effects on native bees.
Not all pesticides are equal in terms of toxicity to honey bees. Neonicotinoids (Neonics) have gained a lot of attention in the media lately because they have been shown to be extremely toxic to bees. Even in low quantities, they may affect bees’ ability to navigate back to the colony, or to successfully forage. Neonics are the most widely used class of insecticides. They are most often used in seed coatings treatments of agricultural plants, but they can also be found in some foliar spray formulations. The method of application is actually very important to determine the risk of the pesticide, as different methods can result in different levels of contact with bees.
Bees can be exposed to neonics when foraging on the pollen or nectar of the seed-treated plant, but studies have shown those residues to be extremely low. Most residues found are actually a result of foliar sprays. Some foliar sprays are actually restricted by law (as indicated on their labels) during bloom when bees are present.
While neonics do pose a threat to bees, we have found very few instances of neonic presence in honey bee collected pollen samples in Maryland. This is great news, and also reminds us that while pesticides are an important part of the picture, honey bee colony losses are due to many problems working at the same time.
What are the most common diseases honey bees face?
Honey bees currently face threats from a number of pests and pathogens. Perhaps the most detrimental agent of harm is the Varroa destructor, a mite that parasitizes both European and Asian honey bees (Apis cerana). Since detection in European honey bee colonies in Brazil in the 1970’s, this particular species of Varroa has spread around the world causing serious damage to the beekeeping industry. The adult female Varroa is one of the largest ectoparasites relative to the size of its host – for comparison, imagine a tick the size of a dinner plate on an adult human. These mites have a complex life cycle. Beginning as eggs laid on honey bee larvae in capped brood cells, they feed on fat-rich larvae and pupae of developing honey bees, rapidly passing through several molts to adulthood all in span of just seven days. Adult male Varroa remain in the same brood cell, however, the adult female Varroa leaves the brood cell to feed on adult bees, hiding underneath overlapping abdominal segments, or riding on the back of the honey bee thorax (between the wings). She may disembark to pass to new bees, possibly moving to new locations in the hive, or possibly even moving to another hive entirely, thus spreading the infection. Finally, the reproductive female mite, now called a “foundress,” is ready to lay her own eggs on another helpless honey bee larvae in an uncapped brood cell.
Varroa are particularly concerning because they also serve as a vector for honey bee viruses. With mite infestation, colonies frequently display Parasitic Mite Syndrome (PMS), or Sac Brood Virus (SBV), conditions that preclude development of honey bee larvae and pupae. Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), Varroa Destructor Virus (VDV-I), and Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), are also extremely common in colonies with mite infestation. Other common honey bee viruses include: Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV), Israeli Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (IAPV), Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV), Lake Sinai Virus (LSV-II), and Acute Bee Paralysis virus (ABPV) among others. For more information see, honey bee viruses, the deadly Varroa associates.
In addition to viruses bees also face infection from pathogenic bacteria and fungi. American Foulbrood (AFB) is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacteria Paenibacillus larvae. AFB causes larvae to decompose and is observed by sweating or sunken brood cell capping; in many states, infected colonies are burned when AFB is discovered. European Foulbrood (EFB) is another highly contagious disease caused by bacterial infection. EFB is observed mostly in the deterioration of uncapped larvae – larvae may appear discolored or twisted. Chalkbrood is caused by a fungal infection, spreading from spore contaminated brood food, often resulting in “chalk-like” mummified larvae. Nosema is a very common fungal pathogen of European honey bees. The spores parasitize and reproduce in cells lining the digestive tract of adult honey bees, causing a condition called “Nosemosis” (basically dysentery for bees), which can lead to dehydration or death in severe cases.
Small Hive Beetles (SHB) are beetles that live in honey bee colonies, eat stored pollen, and lay larva in an open spaces. SHB are usually not a serious problem to a strong healthy colony, but can pose a threat to weak colonies. If a colony has been weakened by another disease, pest, or management issue, there may be too few bees to control the SHB population. This is when SHB can start to overtake a colony.
Wax Moth ruins frames of weak or dead colonies. Similar to SHB, they are usually not a problem for strong colonies. When small colonies have too few bees to cover all the wax, wax moth can move in and lay larva that eat the wax, and even wood from the frames. Building wax takes a lot of time and energy from the bees, so having it destroyed by wax moth is pretty devastating.
Honey bees currently face threats from a number of pests and pathogens. Perhaps the most detrimental agent of harm is the Varroa destructor, a mite that parasitizes both European and Asian honey bees (Apis cerana). Since detection in European honey bee colonies in Brazil in the 1970’s, this particular species of Varroa has spread around the world causing serious damage to the beekeeping industry. The adult female Varroa is one of the largest ectoparasites relative to the size of its host – for comparison, imagine a tick the size of a dinner plate on an adult human. These mites have a complex life cycle. Beginning as eggs laid on honey bee larvae in capped brood cells, they feed on fat-rich larvae and pupae of developing honey bees, rapidly passing through several molts to adulthood all in span of just seven days. Adult male Varroa remain in the same brood cell, however, the adult female Varroa leaves the brood cell to feed on adult bees, hiding underneath overlapping abdominal segments, or riding on the back of the honey bee thorax (between the wings). She may disembark to pass to new bees, possibly moving to new locations in the hive, or possibly even moving to another hive entirely, thus spreading the infection. Finally, the reproductive female mite, now called a “foundress,” is ready to lay her own eggs on another helpless honey bee larvae in an uncapped brood cell.
Varroa are particularly concerning because they also serve as a vector for honey bee viruses. With mite infestation, colonies frequently display Parasitic Mite Syndrome (PMS), or Sac Brood Virus (SBV), conditions that preclude development of honey bee larvae and pupae. Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), Varroa Destructor Virus (VDV-I), and Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), are also extremely common in colonies with mite infestation. Other common honey bee viruses include: Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV), Israeli Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (IAPV), Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV), Lake Sinai Virus (LSV-II), and Acute Bee Paralysis virus (ABPV) among others. For more information see, honey bee viruses, the deadly Varroa associates.
In addition to viruses bees also face infection from pathogenic bacteria and fungi. American Foulbrood (AFB) is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacteria Paenibacillus larvae. AFB causes larvae to decompose and is observed by sweating or sunken brood cell capping; in many states, infected colonies are burned when AFB is discovered. European Foulbrood (EFB) is another highly contagious disease caused by bacterial infection. EFB is observed mostly in the deterioration of uncapped larvae – larvae may appear discolored or twisted. Chalkbrood is caused by a fungal infection, spreading from spore contaminated brood food, often resulting in “chalk-like” mummified larvae. Nosema is a very common fungal pathogen of European honey bees. The spores parasitize and reproduce in cells lining the digestive tract of adult honey bees, causing a condition called “Nosemosis” (basically dysentery for bees), which can lead to dehydration or death in severe cases.
Small Hive Beetles (SHB) are beetles that live in honey bee colonies, eat stored pollen, and lay larva in an open spaces. SHB are usually not a serious problem to a strong healthy colony, but can pose a threat to weak colonies. If a colony has been weakened by another disease, pest, or management issue, there may be too few bees to control the SHB population. This is when SHB can start to overtake a colony.
Wax Moth ruins frames of weak or dead colonies. Similar to SHB, they are usually not a problem for strong colonies. When small colonies have too few bees to cover all the wax, wax moth can move in and lay larva that eat the wax, and even wood from the frames. Building wax takes a lot of time and energy from the bees, so having it destroyed by wax moth is pretty devastating.
What steps are beekeepers taking to prevent disease and improve colony health?
Beekeepers today realize that their colonies face a myriad of complex issues, as discussed above. Every beekeeping operation is different, and beekeepers have very strong opinions about what is best for their colonies. Many take action to help their colonies by feeding them supplementary sugar and/or pollen. They often also take action against Varroa by managing their Varroa populations, either with chemical treatments or non-chemical approaches such a Drone Brood Removal. Beekeepers will also try to find the best areas to put their colonies in, with plenty of rich forage and water nearby. The best thing a beekeeper can do is inspect their colonies at least once a month to be aware of any diseases or queen issues they might be having. This allows them to intervene and help their colonies in a timely manner.
Beekeepers today realize that their colonies face a myriad of complex issues, as discussed above. Every beekeeping operation is different, and beekeepers have very strong opinions about what is best for their colonies. Many take action to help their colonies by feeding them supplementary sugar and/or pollen. They often also take action against Varroa by managing their Varroa populations, either with chemical treatments or non-chemical approaches such a Drone Brood Removal. Beekeepers will also try to find the best areas to put their colonies in, with plenty of rich forage and water nearby. The best thing a beekeeper can do is inspect their colonies at least once a month to be aware of any diseases or queen issues they might be having. This allows them to intervene and help their colonies in a timely manner.
Why is poor nutrition a problem? Why are honey bee colonies starving?
Starvation is a very frequent cause of honey bee colony mortality, especially over the winter. A colony can starve over the winter despite full frames of honey just a few inches away, because in the cold weather, it is very difficult for the cluster of honey bees to move, and they naturally tend to move upwards rather than to the side. With that said, a colony can also starve during the active season, for example in the spring, when the demands of the colony grows with its population but cold nights, and sometimes rain, still limit the hours worker bees can forage. In some unfortunate cases, bees could face starvation even during the summer if there is a nectar dearth due to decreased flower blossoms (for instance in the case of a drought) or persistent bad flying conditions. Strongest hives are more prone to starvation as they will go through their reserves the quickest.
Furthermore, honey bees need diversity in their diet. Just as you or I could not survive solely off carrots, honey bees need to collect nectar and pollen from multiple types of sources to gather the bouquet of nutrients they need to survive. Many bees live in agricultural areas that are primarily composed of soybeans, corn, or wheat. These crops do not provide much forage for bees, and in the past ten years the prevalence of these crops on the landscape has increased dramatically. This has left little diversity of forage behind. One solution is to plant a lot of good forage in hedgerows on the edges of fields, or in low lying areas that are difficult to plant and harvest. While these practices have become more common in some agricultural practices, we still have a long way to go before our landscape can support a healthy bee population.
Starvation is a very frequent cause of honey bee colony mortality, especially over the winter. A colony can starve over the winter despite full frames of honey just a few inches away, because in the cold weather, it is very difficult for the cluster of honey bees to move, and they naturally tend to move upwards rather than to the side. With that said, a colony can also starve during the active season, for example in the spring, when the demands of the colony grows with its population but cold nights, and sometimes rain, still limit the hours worker bees can forage. In some unfortunate cases, bees could face starvation even during the summer if there is a nectar dearth due to decreased flower blossoms (for instance in the case of a drought) or persistent bad flying conditions. Strongest hives are more prone to starvation as they will go through their reserves the quickest.
Furthermore, honey bees need diversity in their diet. Just as you or I could not survive solely off carrots, honey bees need to collect nectar and pollen from multiple types of sources to gather the bouquet of nutrients they need to survive. Many bees live in agricultural areas that are primarily composed of soybeans, corn, or wheat. These crops do not provide much forage for bees, and in the past ten years the prevalence of these crops on the landscape has increased dramatically. This has left little diversity of forage behind. One solution is to plant a lot of good forage in hedgerows on the edges of fields, or in low lying areas that are difficult to plant and harvest. While these practices have become more common in some agricultural practices, we still have a long way to go before our landscape can support a healthy bee population.
What steps can everyday citizens take to help save the bees?
One thing citizens can do to help is spread awareness about all the knowledge we’ve garnered on bees in the last ten years since the discovery of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While bees have gained a lot of attention in popular science and media, and this is truly a good thing, we want to make sure we’re not spreading misinformation. A lot of people think that CCD is still the biggest problem bees face. In fact, for a colony collapse to be diagnosed as a case of CCD, a very specific set of symptoms must be present, and these symptoms have been scarcely reported in the last five years. However, there are many other extremely prevalent issues bees are facing today (as discussed above), and spreading the word about these and keeping attention on these new problems is key.
Another thing anyone can do to help bees (honey bees and native bees) is to plant pollinator friendly plants in your yard. If we replaced some of our grass, lawns, or non-nectar or pollen producing ornamental plants with bee friendly ones, we can help feed all types of bees that live near us.
One thing citizens can do to help is spread awareness about all the knowledge we’ve garnered on bees in the last ten years since the discovery of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While bees have gained a lot of attention in popular science and media, and this is truly a good thing, we want to make sure we’re not spreading misinformation. A lot of people think that CCD is still the biggest problem bees face. In fact, for a colony collapse to be diagnosed as a case of CCD, a very specific set of symptoms must be present, and these symptoms have been scarcely reported in the last five years. However, there are many other extremely prevalent issues bees are facing today (as discussed above), and spreading the word about these and keeping attention on these new problems is key.
Another thing anyone can do to help bees (honey bees and native bees) is to plant pollinator friendly plants in your yard. If we replaced some of our grass, lawns, or non-nectar or pollen producing ornamental plants with bee friendly ones, we can help feed all types of bees that live near us.
How does habitat loss affect bees?
Habitat loss or land use changes are considered one of the main drivers of bee declines. Why? Because environs heavily shaped by humans (i.e. intensive agriculture or suburban development) typically have one or more of the following characteristics: reduced native floral abundance and diversity, regular disturbance to soil, greater exposure to toxins, an increase of non-permeable surfaces and lack of connectivity. Thus, habitat loss can have detrimental effects on bee nutrition and reproduction, especially of ground nesting bees. These are all big topics on their own, so below one of these aspects – problems with a simplified floral landscape -- will be considered in more detail.
Rewards vary by plant species, so a diverse flora helps ensure bees receive proper nutrition. For instance some wildflowers offer pollen needed for larval growth while others provide only nectar, an excellent source of fuel for adult bees. Nutritional content of pollen and nectar can also vary widely by plant species and can fluctuate throughout the bloom period based on environmental factors (rainfall, temperature, etc.). Protein levels of pollen range from 2 – 60% while nectar sugar concentrations range from 10 – 70%. In addition to differences in floral rewards, pollen and nectar often contain secondary metabolites (phenols, tanins, etc.) that can be toxic to certain bees. Thus bees cannot utilize all flowering species and some have little or nothing in the way of rewards. Specialist feeders, bees that feed on only one or several plant genera, are especially at risk when floral diversity is severely limited.
Habitat loss or land use changes are considered one of the main drivers of bee declines. Why? Because environs heavily shaped by humans (i.e. intensive agriculture or suburban development) typically have one or more of the following characteristics: reduced native floral abundance and diversity, regular disturbance to soil, greater exposure to toxins, an increase of non-permeable surfaces and lack of connectivity. Thus, habitat loss can have detrimental effects on bee nutrition and reproduction, especially of ground nesting bees. These are all big topics on their own, so below one of these aspects – problems with a simplified floral landscape -- will be considered in more detail.
Rewards vary by plant species, so a diverse flora helps ensure bees receive proper nutrition. For instance some wildflowers offer pollen needed for larval growth while others provide only nectar, an excellent source of fuel for adult bees. Nutritional content of pollen and nectar can also vary widely by plant species and can fluctuate throughout the bloom period based on environmental factors (rainfall, temperature, etc.). Protein levels of pollen range from 2 – 60% while nectar sugar concentrations range from 10 – 70%. In addition to differences in floral rewards, pollen and nectar often contain secondary metabolites (phenols, tanins, etc.) that can be toxic to certain bees. Thus bees cannot utilize all flowering species and some have little or nothing in the way of rewards. Specialist feeders, bees that feed on only one or several plant genera, are especially at risk when floral diversity is severely limited.
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Here are some helpful links with more information about Honey Bees
International:
If you have any other questions please use the Contact link from the main menu!
Here are some helpful links with more information about Honey Bees
International:
- https://www.apimondia.com/en - Apimondia - International Federation of Beekeeping Associations
- http://www.coloss.org/ - COLOSS - Honey Bee Research Association
- https://www.glorybee.com/beekeeping-101 - GloryBee Online Beekeeping Class
- https://www.beelab.umn.edu/ - University of Minnesota Bee Lab
- https://u.osu.edu/beelab/ - Ohio State University Bee Lab
- http://ento.psu.edu/pollinators - Penn State Center for Pollinator Research
- https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/beltsville-md/beltsville-agricultural-research-center/bee-research-laboratory/ - USDA Bee Research Lab
- http://www.abfnet.org/ - American Beekeeping Federation
- https://beeinformed.org/ - Bee Informed Partnership
- http://xerces.org/ - Xerces Society - a science-based conservation organization
- http://www.beeculture.com/ - Bee Culture Magazine
- http://americanbeejournal.com/ - American Bee Journal
- http://www.ahpanet.com/ - American Honey Producers Association
- http://www.entsoc.org/ - ESA - Entomological Society of America
- http://projectapism.org/ - Project Apis m.
- http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/ - University of Florida Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab
- http://www.mdbeekeepers.org/shortcourse2011.html - List of beekeeping clubs in Maryland
- http://www.mdbeekeepers.org/ - Maryland State Beekeepers
- http://www.centralmarylandbees.org/ - Central Maryland Beekeepers Association
- http://www.dcbeekeepers.org/ - DC Beekeepers Alliance
- https://montgomerycountybeekeepers.com/wp/ - Montgomery County Beekeepers Association
- http://www.bumbabees.com/ - The Bowie-Upper Marlboro Beekeepers Association
- https://www.facebook.com/BaltimoreBackyardBeekeepersNetwork/ - Baltimore Backyard Beekeepers Network
- http://www.easternapiculture.org/ - EAS- Eastern Apiculture Society
- http://agdev.anr.udel.edu/maarec/ - MAAREC - Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium
- http://www.westernapiculturalsociety.org/ - WAS - Western Apiculture Society
- http://www.heartlandbees.org/ - HAS - Heartland Apiculture Society
If you have any other questions please use the Contact link from the main menu!
