Colony collapse disorder is the latest in a string of
devastating attacks on the beekeeping industry
On bright spring days with fruit trees blooming profusely and flowers shaking off the winter cold, the busy buzz of the honey bee is a welcome reminder all is right with the world.
But recent beehive news is anything but comforting. South County has not been spared in the mysterious march of “colony collapse disorder” a fancy name for hives that go belly up for no apparent reason. The bees simply abandon their work and the hive grinds to an unproductive standstill.
There are, according to the Apiary Inspectors of America, 80 percent fewer honeybees in our nation than in 1940.
Bees matter, of course. Without their pollinating capabilities, there are no almonds, cherries or squash to name just a few crops.
The impacts for a growing U.S. population could be devastating.
The bee nightmare stories that reporter Emily Alpert found in our region mirror the nation’s distressed industry:
n Tom Presley closed his 20-year-old Gilroy apiaries and moved to Georgia after losing a $200,000 investment.
n “I’m afraid to even count my hives,” said Lynne Bottazzo, who combs “better-than-organic” honey from hives in Hollister and Mount Madonna. “I’m down to an eighth of what I had.”
n Charlie Baker, who keeps bees in Los Banos, lost half his 1,000 hives along with $50,000.
As the frustration mounts, more and more beekeepers are throwing up their hands and getting out.
It’s a natural reaction to a seemingly endless number of assaults including varroa and tracheal mites which preceded the latest plague.
Though scientists are busy working on the problem, there are no answers on the horizon for “colony collapse disorder.” So, the beekeeping industry could die a fairly rapid death. The return on investment simply isn’t lucrative enough to warrant taking such a big risk.
Meanwhile, the unthinkable – the loss of a long list of food crops including most tree fruits – is approaching.
Perhaps the colony collapse culprit is a fungus that can be isolated and eliminated.
It’s a drama that will become more and more intense, and more costly for the agriculture industry, until a cause and cure is found. Maybe colonies will simply stop collapsing and the problem will solve itself.
What we do know is that honeybees are inextricably linked to our nation’s food supply and, therefore, to us.
Those crisp apples and sweet, crunchy almonds need bees. Everything that can be done to save the bees should be done. Otherwise, our food supply will take a terrible sting.
