There are a few skeptics: CCD isn’t a big problem in Canada and they have been importing Australian bees for years. Many scientists even believe this a natural bee decline, especially since most of the data is simply anecdotal from US beekeepers.

Takeaway
I don’t totally buy this. The sample size isn’t yet large enough to make the leap. I do believe CCD is a multiple cause issue, IAPV could be a contributing cause. The paper does show how biodiversity bees is key to long term survival. You hear that beekeepers? B-I-O-D-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y. Maintaining one species of bee on one limited diet creates a susceptible bee.

More Info:
Science Mag abstract
Science Friday podcast on the virus

In the May issue of Science, compares historical data with current research to provide some answers.

Pesticides
One of the most common theories is that pesticides are killing off the hives. Pesticides first arrived on the scene post WW II, but similar colony collapses have been reported back as far as 1897.

Investigation of pesticides have been focused on a nicotine based compound called neonicotinoids, introduced in 1992. In the lab, a few of these compounds were shown to inhibit navigation or even cause death at higher doses. However, these results have not been reproduced in the field and moreover there has been no spike in usage of these pesticides over the last year. France banned one compound, imidacloprid, in 1999 after many beekepers had complained. Yet after 8 years, there seems to be no effect on the hive population in France.

Pathogens
Analysis of Pennsylvania bees revealed a surprising number of pathogens in each bees. Bacteria, fungi, 4 different kinds of viruses. The researchers suspect these pathogens are being transmitted between colonies through repeated use of equipment and wax combs. The shear number of pathogens seems to indicate a suppressed immune system. However, recent research out of Maryland indicates similar viral load on many healthy bee colonies. The immune suppression theory has merits, but clearly does not explain the whole picture.

Diet
The modern farmer does not make money from honey, much more so from pollination. This shift is due to the US importing cheap honey from abroad over the past 10 years. Many bees are trucked to California’s central valley to pollinate almonds and other crops in October. This time is typically a dormant period for bees. Beekeepers wake up the hives from dormancy by dosing with high-fructose corn syrup. Beyond just the unnatural diet, some beekeepers have found contaminants in the HFCS, perhaps leading to poor health.

Travel
How does it feel when you fly across country? A little tired, prone to illness, perhaps? Bees travel upwards of 10,000 miles a year. There are theories the constant moving is introducing great stress on the hives. However, this has been happening for years, so why the CCD now?

My overall takeaway is simple: Bees are complicated. Really complicated. Our use of bees has introduced great stress: whether pathogens, pesticides, parasites, diet, or travel. More likely is that the problem is a combination of effects. A combination of effects that will not be easy to fully understand in a short period.

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To be clear, we’re talking about honey bees. Out of 20,000 known species of bee…there are only 7 species of honey bee. Honey bees as we know them are non-native to the US. They were imported from Europe around 400 years ago. Up until the 1980s, most bees were kept by farmers in small colonies using age-old techniques. The agricultural industry has becoming increasing reliant on honey bees as pollinators for crops. Below is a table displaying the economics:

Commercial beekeeping has grown in the past years, with mobile beekeeping being the chief strategy. In mobile beekeeping, keepers move their hives around the country to coincide with pollinating times of various crops (apples in March, almonds in January, etc.). This strategy has inherent problems, chief among them introducing stress on the bees. In addition, less honey bees are used resulting in less biodiversity. In recent years, various parasites have decimated honey bees (Varroa mite).

Map of CCD infestation by state:

Interested in starting your own colony to help with the honeybee crisis? There are plenty of options available in the Bay Area.

San Francisco Bee Keeper’s Association – They have a monthly discussion group along with plenty of events. Excellent FAQ on beekeeping including detailed info on costs. You can even pick up a baseball hat.

Alameda County Bee Keeper’s Association – Weekly blog on beekeeping focused on local development.

Marin County Beekeepers – Monthly events including a newsletter.

Bay Area Beekeeping Resources – Great resource page. Where to find observation hives, where to buy equipment, where to buy bees, and plenty of internet links.