Spring Break
Final stand of the bees
Alex Gregorie
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: News
Think of the ingredients in a hamburger from McDonald's. In a world without honey bees, all that is left is the bun.
As our main source for crop pollination, honey bees are responsible for more than $9 million worth of the food that Americans consume. But the honey bees are disappearing and no one knows why.
This mysterious crisis is better known as colony collapse disorder, or CCD. For decades, researchers around the world have been looking deep into what could be causing CCD, but have yet to find an answer. UGA professor of entomology, Keith Delaplane, is a local researcher also seeking an answer.
UGA recently received a $4.1 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, to vastly increase research and extension, in which Delaplane will be very involved with.
So why are honey bees so important to our environment?
Delaplane said, "It's not a life and death thing," when referring to Albert Einstein's theory that if bees parish then humans also parish.
However, since honey bees are such vital pollinators, consumers are left with very little. "Take away bees and you're eating rice and corn," said Delaplane. Without bees, the so called "good life" is completely out of the picture. "Like it or not, what's at stake is the American way of life," said Delaplane.
One possible cause of CCD is the Verroa mite. This parasite is like a "bee tick" that feeds on the honey bee and later passes a virus, causing the bee's immune system to crash. There is no remedy for these viruses, and researchers do not know if this is indeed the primary cause of CCD.
Another possible cause is migratory beekeeping. "The US has the largest bee keeping industry in the world," Delaplane said. "Bee keepers don't think twice when loading bees onto a semi truck and taking them from Florida to California". This migratory bee keeping has become stressful to the bees, causing them to have shortened life spans.
Aside from the research for the causes of CCD, there are other alternatives if bees become extinct. This includes electronic bee pollination and green house pollination. Electronic bee pollination is a new and advanced way to effectively pollinate plants, while green house pollination, bumble bees are bought and are free to roam in green houses to pollinate crops.
Delaplane said one way Americans can help with this crisis is to plant "bee friendly plants" in their yards. These plants can be anything from sunflowers to cotton. By planting a "bee friendly plant," one is creating a safe and natural way to conserve bees.
To learn more about CCD, bee conservation, a list of "bee friendly plants" and other ways to help, visit www.ent.uga.edu/bees.
As our main source for crop pollination, honey bees are responsible for more than $9 million worth of the food that Americans consume. But the honey bees are disappearing and no one knows why.
This mysterious crisis is better known as colony collapse disorder, or CCD. For decades, researchers around the world have been looking deep into what could be causing CCD, but have yet to find an answer. UGA professor of entomology, Keith Delaplane, is a local researcher also seeking an answer.
UGA recently received a $4.1 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, to vastly increase research and extension, in which Delaplane will be very involved with.
So why are honey bees so important to our environment?
Delaplane said, "It's not a life and death thing," when referring to Albert Einstein's theory that if bees parish then humans also parish.
However, since honey bees are such vital pollinators, consumers are left with very little. "Take away bees and you're eating rice and corn," said Delaplane. Without bees, the so called "good life" is completely out of the picture. "Like it or not, what's at stake is the American way of life," said Delaplane.
One possible cause of CCD is the Verroa mite. This parasite is like a "bee tick" that feeds on the honey bee and later passes a virus, causing the bee's immune system to crash. There is no remedy for these viruses, and researchers do not know if this is indeed the primary cause of CCD.
Another possible cause is migratory beekeeping. "The US has the largest bee keeping industry in the world," Delaplane said. "Bee keepers don't think twice when loading bees onto a semi truck and taking them from Florida to California". This migratory bee keeping has become stressful to the bees, causing them to have shortened life spans.
Aside from the research for the causes of CCD, there are other alternatives if bees become extinct. This includes electronic bee pollination and green house pollination. Electronic bee pollination is a new and advanced way to effectively pollinate plants, while green house pollination, bumble bees are bought and are free to roam in green houses to pollinate crops.
Delaplane said one way Americans can help with this crisis is to plant "bee friendly plants" in their yards. These plants can be anything from sunflowers to cotton. By planting a "bee friendly plant," one is creating a safe and natural way to conserve bees.
To learn more about CCD, bee conservation, a list of "bee friendly plants" and other ways to help, visit www.ent.uga.edu/bees.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
CV writing UK
posted 12/23/09 @ 9:03 AM EST
I agree that bees are essential part os our environment.
Miami moving companies
posted 1/15/10 @ 4:42 PM EST
It's crazy to think that bees are so important to our entire way of life but it really is true. And it's very important that we keep them from disappearing like they have been lately. (Continued…)
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