Honey bees don’t just make sweet sweet honey and sting your foot whiel you’re walking through the park barefoot. They are also critically important for pollinating much of the food we eat and suddenly these bees are disappearing.
The bees are fading away and we don't know why
Why Are Bees Disappearing
The big term thought up by smart people is called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), but it doesn’t really explain anything. The adult bees that leave the defend and bring food to the hive are leaving and not coming back, leaving the hive hungry and defenseless against predators. After the adult bees are gone it is only a matter of time before the colony dies off.
How Bad Is It?
Very. Nearly a third of all honey bee colonies have vanished and there are no signs of it getting better.
What Foods are Effected?
Much of the food you see in this section of your super market needs bees
Fruits
- Apples
- Apricots
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Grapes
- Kiwis
- Nectarines
- Olives
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plums
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Watermelons
Vegetables
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Onions
- Pumpkins
- Squash
Nuts
- Almonds
- Macadamia nuts
Because a cows diet also relies on honey bee crops, dairy and beef would also be affected.
What’s Being Done?
Nothing. Currently there is a group called The CCD Working Group that is conducting research, but there are too many things that might be the cause and they haven’t figured it out yet.
What Can I Do?
Not much. If you like to eat the food listed above and want to do something, leave a comment and we’ll try to connect you with the proper organizations. The original site dedicated to CCD has disappeared (irony?), but this appears to be the new home: http://maarec.psu.edu/
