What would happen if suddenly nature went on strike and stopped doing all the services it has always done for us free of charge? No more insect and pest control done by birds, bats, reptiles and amphibians; no more natural transfer of nutrients by animal migrations, and certainly no more pollination done by birds, bats, or insects, such as bees. Studies done as to the cost of such services provided by nature to humanity (by insects, birds, plants) were estimated in a 1997 study to be 30 trillion dollars, according to Harvard University Professor Emeritus, E. O. Wilson (from the BBC Planet Earth series, "Saving Species" fragment). At present, many parts of the world are getting to experience partially such a world without nature's services upon having experienced an unprecedented collapse in bees' numbers. Studies in an attempt to unveil the mistery continue, but the problem remains, and it has most serious implications.
2006: The Alarm Is Sounded
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, "honey bees are mysteriously vanishing across the country [the United States], putting $15 billion worth of fruits, nuts and vegetables at risk"(http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp). In fact, "Every third bite we consume in our diet is dependent on a honeybee to pollinate that food," according to Zac Browning, vice president of the American Beekeeping Federation (quoted in the New York Times on February 27th, 2007). Beekeepers in 2006 sounded the alarm when they noticed a strange phenomenon: healthy bees were simply leaving their hives never to return. This mass disappearance has been called by researchers Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD). At present, roughly one third of the entire number of bee colonies in the US have disappeared. The causes of CCD are unknown, and the disorder has been blamed on parasites, pesticides and environmental stresses on bees.
What's Causing the Bees' Colonies' Collapse
On May 12, 2007, Science Daily published an article discussing the possible causes for this collapse in bees' populations according to scientists and entomologists. The article points out that the decline has been staggering "in as many as 27 US states and countries in Europe and Asia this winter, said Cornell Associate professor of entomology Nicholas Calderone."
Ever since the 1980s two different types of mites (tracheal mites and varroa mites) have posed a threat to the bee industry, as these parasites attack healthy bees killing them, and using them as vectors. This current epidemic, however, cannot be blamed entirely on these parasites. Other studies have pointed towards other pathogens, genetically modified foods, pesticide use and even electromagnetic radiation from cell phones as possible culprits of the bee crisis. The main cause for such a sudden collapse of colonies, explains Dr. Calderone, is still unknown.
