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Over the past year, bees have begun to disappear in droves, and a supposed quote from Albert Einstein has highlighted the severity of the situation.
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.”
Although it is uncertain whether or not Einstein really made that statement, it does raise an important question: How important are bees to humans?
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is the mysterious die-off of a colony of bees. It is widespread in Europe and the U.S., but so far, it is not something that we have had to worry about in B.C.
The Canadian Council of Professional Apiculturists, who study beekeeping and pollination, state that although more bees died off over the winter than normal this year, it should not cause alarm.
Ron Lin, president of Honeyland in Pitt Meadows, blames the higher overwinter mortality rate on a longer, damper winter.
He says that contrary to popular belief, bees do not hibernate, but constantly vibrate to stay warm, so they need an adequate food supply (honey) to keep up their energy.
“The key to a healthy colony is having good bee keeping management,” says Lin. “Beekeepers keep hives strong.”
Having a strong colony means better survival through the cold winter months. Although many of the workers die off in the winter, the queen should survive.
Lin recently traveled to Alberta where it is believed that the long winter, and not CCD, is what claimed so many bees this year.
But the cause of CCD is unknown, and that, says Lin, is the real problem.
“If we knew what is was than we would be able to deal with it.”
Everything from disease to cell phone radiation has been blamed for the bee disappearance.
Mites have also been named as a concern. But a mite infestation is not a death sentence for a colony. With proper management, pests can be kept under control, which is what is going on in B.C.
“Bees make a huge contribution. As we know, bees pollinate; so no bees, no fruit.”
In the U.S., some beekeepers travel across the country renting out their colony’s pollination services. This practice, says Lin, is what may be contributing to the spread of disease and mites.
“We can’t rely on wild bees anymore because they are dying of disease. (Domestic) honeybees are important for pollen distribution.”
Ed Nowek, president of the Canadian Honey Council, says that CCD is definitely a cause for concern.
“It seems like the areas of highest loss are adjacent to the U.S.”
He says that Canada is usually only a year of two behind the States when it comes to disease and pest infestations, but they still import queen bees from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
But there is a new piece to this puzzle, and it may be a key in solving CCD.
Nowek says there is a small hive-beetle that may be creating a fungus that causes the hive to be undesirable to bees.
“The bees abscond the hive and do not return, and even other bees do not want to go near these hives to raid their honey.”
As for the keepers that rent out their colonies for pollination, Nowek says that it’s possible that they may be spreading the mystery more.
“Migratory pollination helps increase the rate that the pests are spread.”
The Canadian Honey Council is taking proactive measures, and is organizing an upcoming strategy meeting in Winnipeg.
“I wouldn’t go as far as Einstein,” says Nowek. “But since honeybees are responsible for pollinating forty per cent of the food crop in B.C., the result (of CCD) could be catastrophic.”