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The Mystery of the Vanishing Honeybee

Unexplained phenomena have happened in the world since the beginning of time. Crop circles appear. Weather changes. Seemingly normal people you meet on internet dating sites turn out to have bright purple hair. But there's been nothing in recent memory to rival the strangeness --and ultimately the environmental and economical danger-- of the recent disappearance of honeybees in North America.

Called colony collapse disorder (or CCD for short), falling honeybee populations are being seen all over North America, and in other places around the world. Like something out of a disaster movie, a beekeeper will tend one day to hives that look perfectly healthy... and return the next day to empty hives or hives with their populations depleted by half. Aside from a few dead or dying bees left behind, there's no sign of the missing bee populations. They've just... disappeared.

But what, exactly, is happening to the continent's honeybee population? While scientists are still unsure of the real cause, they believe there are several distinct possibilities.

IAPV

One of the most popular theories behind the disappearance of the honeybee is a strain of the Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, or IAPV, which is thought to have originated in Australia. This virus causes honeybees to be suddenly paralyzed (usually while in flight or away from the hive), killing them or making them unable to return to their hives. While this virus has been present in North America and in many other places for many years, it is suspected that the Australian strain of this virus may be more dangerous than the North American version.

There is, however, no conclusive evidence to prove that this virus is even the culprit at all.

Chemicals and Genetically Modified Plant Life

While the IAPV virus has been shown to be present in some bee populations, many scientists suspect that the main culprit behind the disappearance of honeybees is chemical pesticides and herbicides. During the collection of pollen, honeybees are thought to digest these chemicals, and are perhaps poisoned by their presence on most crops.

Others believe that the use of these chemical compounds along with genetically altered crops has created a crisis situation in the honeybee population. If the nutritional value of the pollen found in genetically modified crops is lessened, it's possible that honeybees may not be receiving proper nutrition. It is thought that, combined with the use of pesticides, this lack of nutrition may be what is decimating honeybee populations.

Global Warming

While global warming itself is not thought to be a direct culprit in the disappearance of honeybees, many scientists believe that it may be a contributing factor. Many of the mites, fungi, etc., that kill bees and cause colony collapse disorder grow more rapidly with the onset of global warming. And since honeybees are accustomed to certain cycles of cold and warm during the seasons, it's thought that the changes and fluctuations in seasonal temperatures brought about by global warming may be affecting honeybee populations, as well.

Why, you might ask, should the disappearance of honeybees pose such a danger to the economy and the environment? Sure, the honey industry may be experiencing difficulties... but isn't that the end of it?

Actually, honeybees do a lot more than make honey. Their most important job? To pollinate plants in their search for pollen. While butterflies and 4,000 other insects also share some of the pollination work load, the bulk of it falls to the honeybee. In fact, in North America, honeybees are responsible for pollinating about 30% of the food we eat on a daily basis. No honeybees? For most of what is grown and eaten in North America, that means no crops. It's a scary thought, both environmentally and economically.

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