Hope for Honey Bees - Colony Collapse Disorder Cause Found and Treated

Disappearing honey bees have been a concern for beekeepers, honey lovers, farmers and agriculture experts for years. The unexplained death of entire honey bee colonies has been dubbed colony collapse disorder (CCD) and has killed off as many as one third of US honey bees. While several causes have been suspected, scientists have verified at least one cause and successfully treated the affected colonies.

A beekeeper goes to check his hives in the spring and finds that many, maybe all of the honey bees are dead or missing. This scenario has been playing out across the United States and Europe for years. Agricultural experts called it an impending food crisis in 2006. As much as 80% of the US fruit and vegetable supply is pollinated by honey bees. $15 billion a year worth of crops and vital food supplies for Americans are directly dependant on bee pollination. Wild plants and nuts are equally dependant on bees for pollination.

Many causes have been suspected and researched, from pesticides to cell phones, mites to viruses. The loss continues with no clear answers. Other, less efficient bees have been cultivated with marginal success and no honey production. Occasional reports of increasing populations have not mirrored the reality of honey bee populations.

However, a recent paper in Environmental Microbiology Reports details that Spanish scientists verified a parasite that has been mostly overlooked is, in fact, responsible for some CCD. Spanish scientists studying honey bee colonies undergoing collapse found no pesticides, mites or other common suspects. Instead, a single cell parasite was found. The scientists treated the infection of Nosema ceranae in underpopulated hives with antibiotics. The underpopulated honey bee hives recovered and returned to health after treatment with flumagillin. Nosema ceranae has been on the long list of potential causes of CCD but this research shows that it definitely is the culprit in at least some cases of CCD. More positively, CCD caused by N. Ceranae can be treated and save infected honey bee hives.

The bees are still dying and it will take time for this research to be verified. Infected bees die within 8 days of infection. Honey bee keepers will need access to tests for this parasite and instructions for curing their hives. Prevention of the infestation of N. ceranae and it's kin will need to be studied. And all that is if it's shown that Nosema ceranae is, in fact, the major culprit.

Sources:

Barrionuevo, Alexei. Honeybees Vanish, Leaving Keepers in Peril , New York Times, February 7, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/business/27bees.html?_r=1&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/A/Agriculture

Higes et al. Honeybee colony collapse due to Nosema ceranae in professional apiaries. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2009 as reported in Science Daily, Cure For Honey Bee Colony Collapse?, April 14, 2009. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090414084627.htm