Originally published on the CGS blog on October 19, 2013.
Bees are dying off. A phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder is occurring around the world, in which bees abruptly disappear from their hives en masse. This image may not be as moving as endangered tigers or abused dogs or starving children. But if bee decline continues at its current rate, we’re going to be in serious trouble.
About 90 percent of the world’s commercial plants–including fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, cotton, and alfalfa hay–depend on bees for pollination. But in the U.S. and in Europe, beekeepers typically report annual hive losses of 30 percent or more. Similar declines have been observed in Asia and Africa. Globally, colonies have been reduced by half since 1960.
There’s no consensus on the cause of these massive declines, but experts points to a number of influences. One is the switch from natural fertilizers to synthetic ones. Pre-World War II, U.S. farmers grew bee-friendly cover crops such as clover to fertilize soil. Now they use fungicides and herbicides, which kill many plants that bees depend on.
Insecticides also present a threat to bee populations. Some research shows that chemicals in pesticides can fog honeybees’ brains, which prevents them from finding their way back to the hive and endangers the survival of the colony. GMO farming, known to increase the use of pesticides and herbicides, is a contributing factor to this problem.
Bees appear to be suffering from poor nutrition, also due partially to GMOs. Genetically engineered crops tend to have less nutritional value, which compromises bees’ immune systems. This makes them more susceptible to pathogens, including mites, viruses, and fungi. Some experts believe climate change has exacerbated this problem as well.
This convergence of threats is a major problem. A large portion of farm output around the world depends on insect pollination, and honey bees are the most efficient pollinators. Their decline represents a major risk to food security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of farmers and consumers alike.
What can you do about this? Entomologist Marla Spivak recommends the following: plant bee-friendly flowers, campaign to have them planted in public spaces (such as roadsides), and keep them free of pesticides.
“We need to behave more like a bee society, where each of our small actions can contribute to a grand solution,” she says. “Let planting flowers be the driver of large-scale change.”
