~Helping Hives Survive In The Age of Colony Collapse Disorder~

Their buzz is fading and their hives are more vacant than ever. Honeybees are vanishing rapidly and experts are concerned.

According to the 2010 survey by the Apiary Inspectors of America and the Agricultural Research Service, 33.8 percent of colonies failed to survive through winter. This unprecedented statistic is over 15 percent above average and threatens to rise for years to come if the mystery isn’t solved soon. Studies show several factors including pesticides, parasites, and stresses have contributed to this “Colony Collapse Disorder.” Though researchers theorize these to be reasonable possibilities for CCD, the direct cause has yet to be isolated.

As a result of the alarming trend within this recently endangered species, biologists and food consumers fear potentially serious environmental and economic implications on the horizon.

Humans and bees have maintained a reciprocal relationship through many centuries. $15 billion worth of crops are at risk if this breed cannot survive to pollinate them. While their sweet, sticky, and viscous honey is what they are best known for producing, honeybees are responsible for pollinating just about any fruit or vegetable in existence. If honeybees disappear, eventually cherries, cucumbers, and even pumpkins will meet the same fate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has invested $20 million to research this trend with hopes of preventing the insect’s extinction. According to one of the nation’s top bee researchers, University of Maryland entomologist Galen Dively, “We’re going to see a lot of money poured into this problem.” Speculations over the cause of this issue range, but most professionals can agree human presence in their habitat is not likely aiding their fight to survive. They do, however, also agree that mankind has the ability to reverse this trend with more knowledge and a clearer rescue strategy.

The survival status of the honeybee population is uncertain, but research is shedding glimmers of hope. Until a resolution is discovered, honeybees will remain endangered–hurting our agricultural and economic sectors in the process.

Q&A with Judy Scher, President of the Lane County Beekeepers Association 

President of the Lane County Beekeepers Association, Judy Scher is an expert on backyard beekeeping. Scher oversees an organization of 250 bee enthusiasts in Lane County, Oregon. As President of LCBA, she organizes meetings, coordinates speakers, and relays information to the Oregon State Beekeepers Association—a group of mostly commercial beekeepers. Her position requires dedication to honeybees and a vast knowledge of their mannerisms. Operating several backyard hives of her own, Scher is an advocate for non-commercial beekeeping and honeybee education.

Q: Tell me a little about the Lane County Beekeepers Association.

A: LCBA is a non-profit agricultural organization that started in the early ‘90s. Most of us are backyard beekeepers and we exist to educate people about good beekeeping management.

Q: Why are honeybees important to you? 

A: I was at the Home Show and I was looking for the worm booth. I couldn’t find the worm booth, but I found the bee booth instead. My bees have been so welcomed by this community. I see the importance now with urban gardening becoming much more prevalent. If you have bees within a mile, they’re going to come and pollinate plants.

Q: Obviously you know a lot about honeybees; can you tell me more about Colony Collapse Disorder?

A: Colony Collapse Disorder has been a problem of commercial beekeeping. There is always a Varroa Mite infestation and if it coexists with other factors, then the hive collapses. Commercial bees are put on mono-crops when they need a variety of pollen in order to get protein. Commercial beekeepers have begun to supplement their hives with protein patties year round.

Q: According to the USDA, over $15 billion worth of crops depend on honeybee pollination; what do you predict are potential consequences if no cause or cure for CCD is determined?

A: We would lose a lot of our agriculture. That would leave us with just backyard beekeepers. We would have to be the ones who provide bees for farmers and there are a lot of hives.

Q: Is the future for honeybees dismal, bright, or somewhere in-between? 

A: Right now I think the future of the honeybee population is somewhere in-between. I think some may have thought it was dismal, but as we have problems, we always seem to have research and education that helps us.

BEEting the Odds

In 2006, honeybee hives were mysteriously struggling to survive. Yet, thanks to the research of bee experts and dedication of backyard beekeepers like Judy Scher, the honeybee now stands a chance of overcoming Colony Collapse Disorder.

President of the Lane County Beekeepers Association (LCBA), Scher had always been interested in bees, but she never pursued her enthusiasm for the black and yellow striped insect until the day she cracked the binding of a book.

“I was fascinated with beekeeping, so I read A Book of Bees by Sue Hubbell,” said Scher. “I couldn’t put the book down and I remember saying, ‘This woman loves her bees like I love my cats.’”

Scher recalls attending a local Home Show shortly after completing Hubbell’s book. Whether it was fate or coincidence, something compelled the woman to forgo her initial purpose for heading to the convention. Little did she know, this decision would influence the rest of her life.

“I was at the Home Show and I was looking for the worm booth because I couldn’t get my worms to live through the year. I couldn’t find the worm booth, but I found the bee booth instead,” she said.

After that fateful occurrence at the Home Show, Scher was inspired to enroll in honeybee educational seminars and eventually developed a small-scale backyard beehive behind her home.

It wasn’t until after Colony Collapse Disorder became a global issue that Scher realized her knowledge could contribute significantly to her local community of bee lovers as president of LCBA. Instead of practicing large-scale mono-pollination methods, like the commercial beekeeping industry, Scher has found her strategy to be the most effective at avoiding collapsing colonies. She maintains a small number of hives and ensures LCBA members’ bees are receiving a variety of proteins to keep their immune systems strong and ready to defend against Colony Collapse Disorder.

According to Scher, “Commercial bees are put on mono-crops (one specific crop to pollinate) when they need a variety of pollen in order to get the protein, minerals, and steroids they need to combat the factors of CCD.”

Though no direct cause has yet to be isolated in Colony Collapse Disorder, the mitigation techniques used by those like Scher are yielding positive results. In 2006, when the disorder first became a pressing issue, some witnessed up to 60% of hives failing to survive past winter.

Now with more research and focused recovery efforts, “the losses are down to 33%… because people have begun taking bee nutrition more seriously,” said Scher.

The Sweet Side of Backyard Beekeeping

Honey is Winnie the Pooh’s favorite snack, the perfect complement to buttered toast, and the product most closely associated with bees. Discover how a local beekeeper produces honey–from beekeeping in the backyard to bottling.

Combatting Colony Collapse Disorder on a Commercial Scale

Colony Collapse Disorder poses a threat to commercial beekeepers worldwide. Maintaining healthy hives has never been more important for preserving the vitality of honeybees.

Produced in Fall 2012 SOJC introduction Gateway course