Continuing Bee Colony Collapse Disorder

Posted on March 17, 2009  Comments (2)

Photo of a bee

‘I do everything… the bees still die’

The use of the term colony collapse disorder has been criticised by some scientists and other experts who say that it’s often an excuse for poor beekeeping. David sighs heavily.

“Well… I don’t abuse my bees, I kinda take offence at that, when we transport them we take great pains to make sure they arrive safely, to make sure they have water. It’s totally unexplained.

“That’s the frustrating part. There’s no reason that these bees here should be in this shape, just three months ago they were beautiful bees, they were large thriving colonies, and to have them dwindle down to one or two or frames of bees is beyond comprehension as far as I’m concerned.”

But despite the disappearance of his bees, and the lack of clarity about what’s causing it, David remains an optimist. He points to a small discreet emblem on the side of his pickup truck, a hieroglyph of an ancient bee.

“That little hieroglyph there is Egyptian it stands for a beekeeper or bees. It’s an ancient craft; it’s been around a long time. The bees will endure.”

Photo by Justin Hunter

Related: Bye Bye BeesColony Collapse Disorder ContinuesPenn State Program Promotes Pollinator-Friendly GardeningA Survey of Honey Bee Colony Losses in the U.S., Fall 2007 to Spring 2008

2 Responses to “Continuing Bee Colony Collapse Disorder”

  1. Frank Pollacco
    March 19th, 2009 @ 2:53 pm

    I recently spoke with an apiarist that had been active long before the story about colony collapse order was big news … she mentioned that beekeepers had known something serious was going on years before the press ran with the story.

  2. Anonymous
    June 22nd, 2010 @ 7:59 pm

    The bee colony collapse disorder is really such a saddening news spreading far and wide. The disappearing of bees despite our effort of protecting the bees is perhaps due to the climate change. Whatever the reason, keeping the safety our bees is of utmost importance.

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