For some reason, the story’s not as big as the Iraq war, or the British hostages. It’s not as exciting as the vying presidential candidates or tension with Iran. Yet, the recent news on bees carries frightening implications with consequences far more devastating than any of these tensions. And yet hardly anyone knows a thing about them.

First of all: Bees pollinate almost 80% of our flowers and food

“No one really appreciates them,” Vicky tells me. “I mean, I love butterflies, but people don’t understand the purpose of bees. I have international groups come through here and they don’t have a clue—and these are people from global organizations! Intelligent people!”

Some of the vegetables that bees pollinate: almonds, blueberries, cherries, apples, cranberries, watermelons, pears, peaches, alfalfa, alfalfa, avocados, cantaloupe, cucumbers.

They also pollinate cotton—one of our main sources of clothing.

In fact, a Cornell study says that honeybees pollinate every third bite of food ingested by Americans. Bees generate some $14billion in produce.

Yet they’re vanishing—all over the United States and the world.

According to one source, Bee numbers on the east coast and parts of Texas have fallen by 70%, while California has seen colonies drop by 30-60%. And the problem is, no one really knows why.

Scientists are calling the phenomenon “colony collapse disorder,” or CCD, as they try to figure out what is causing the bees to disappear in droves. One common cause of CCD is the varroa mite, a parasite which attacks honey bees and can wipe out a hive—but they don’t appear to be the main cause.

Bees in a colony

What’s interesting is that bees aren’t the only ones shunning the empty hives, other bees and parasites stay away as well, which leads scientists to wonder if they’re infected with a new pathogen, multiple micro-organisms, or—and much suspicion has been raised here—a new kind of pesticide or chemical, many of which are toxic to bees.

An article, in The Christian Science Monitor, states:

“For many entomologists, the bee crisis is a wake-up call. By relying on a single species for pollination, U.S. agriculture has put itself in a precarious position, they say. A resilient agricultural system requires diverse pollinators. This speaks to a larger conservation issue. Some evidence indicates a decline in the estimated 4,500 potential alternate pollinators – native species of butterflies, wasps, and other bees. The blame for that sits squarely on human activity – habitat loss, pesticide use, and imported disease – but much of this could be offset by different land-use practices.”

Domesticated bees encounter a lot of challenges: forced migration in trucks that can kill off large populations, poor nutrition when fed a sugar water diet instead of being fed with natural pollens, and exposure to not only chemicals, but GMO varieties as well. Crops with Bt genetic modifications are now in question. Though they may not weaken a healthy colony, a recent study showed that parasite ridden bee colonies fed on Bt crops quickly became diseased. It may, scientists believe, weaken their immune system.

Visiting Vicky’s bee farm not only inspired me as an entrepreneur, but woke me up to the absolute necessity of bee farming. In the U.S., there are almost half the bee keepers there were in the 1980’s. Certain groups in the UK have recognized the seriousness of this problem. According to a BBC news report, the Oxford Museum of Natural History and the Oxford Bee Company have started making and selling nesting boxes that will help attract some species of bees to gardens. They’re asking local gardeners to put nesting boxes as homes in their backyard to provide homes for the local species.

Ronelle, one of Vicky's longest staff members, and a beekeeper

But the problem also points to the limitations of monocropping. “Moving away from monoculture, say scientists, and having something always flowering within bee-distance, would help natural pollinators. This would make crops less dependent on trucked-in bees, which have proved to be vulnerable to die-offs.”

A Canadian study even suggests that if farmers leave 30 percent of their land fallow, they will increase their yields. The wild land provides habitat for native pollinators which improves pollination and increases the number of seeds.

Lora Morandin, a lead author on the study, states, "If we cultivate all the land, we lose ecosystem services like pollination. Healthy, sustainable agricultural systems need to include natural land."

There are so many important causes in the world, but the bee situation is so immediate and relevant. What will we do if there are few bees to pollinate the 90+ food varieties that compose our diet, not to mention flowers that are necessary for other animals, birds, and insects?

It seems the more you try to unravel this scenario, the more obvious it is how this system is interlinked, each part of it incredibly vital. I encourage everyone to question what they can do to support bee keepers in their communities (buy honey, for one) as well as to consider starting colonies of their own. In the UK, for example,

Any thoughts on this? I’d love to hear people weigh in, especially those who have kept bees--could you share your experiences with us?

Matt and I with some beautiful bees

Some sources:
Quote from the Christian Science Monitor:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/04/national/main2646409.shtml
Some other sources:
http://www.physorg.com/news95135881.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1268432.stm
as well as various others…