Colonly Collapse DisorderCrisis in the Colony:
Colony Collapse Disorder

The following information is provided by Noele Flowers of Lexington High School.
Visit her at the Market on August 5th to learn more!

What’s Going On

In the past few years, scientists have observed an extreme and unexplained decline in honey bee populations. In short, large numbers of adult honey bees have been abruptly and seemingly without reason abandoning their hives and their young. This is known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Scientists have yet to discover a cause for the disorder, but they suspect that malnutrition, genetically modified crops, and pesticides could be causes. Researchers are currently in the process of investigating possible reasons for the bees’ behavior.

Why It Matters

Honey Bees are responsible for pollinating around one third of the crops that we eat, including almonds, watermelon, and soybeans. They play an important role in the food chain, and if scientists are unable to identify a reason for their sudden population decline and intervene in order to reverse the problem or prevent it from getting worse, crops could suffer dramatically as a result. It is projected by the USDA that if the current situation is not corrected, by 2015, the US will be importing 40% of its crops, and that within fifty years the US will be a net food importer. Importing food is expensive and wasteful, and the taste of local food is so much better. These tiny buzzing creatures are enormously important and it is crucial that their behavior is deciphered as soon as possible.

How To Help 

If you’re concerned about the current condition of pollination and honey bees, here are some fun, easy ways to help out:

Make A Buzz!

Many people are unaware that this issue is even exists, so tell your friends and family about what’s going on with the bees! Spreading awareness is an important step towards making meaningful changes.

Eat Sweet!

Looking for a simple, delicious way to make a difference? Enjoy one (or all!) of these fabulous, bee-helping sweets this summer:

Eat More Honey! Buying Honey from local beekeepers contributes to the vitality of the beekeeping industry.

Eat More Ice Cream! Haagen Dazs makes many of it’s ice cream flavors using natural ingredients and crops that rely on the pollination of honey bees to grow, such as strawberries and almonds. So, they have created a new flavor “as a delicious tribute to these essential creatures”. You can find Haagen Dazs’s Ice cream in some supermarkets or at Haagen Dazs Stores. Ask for the Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream: a percentage of the proceeds are donated to CCD research being conducted at Pennsylvania State University and University of California at Davis. 

Eat More Baked Goods! 100% of the proceeds from the delicious, honey-filled baked goods at this table are donated to Project Apis m., an organization whose goal is to improve the health and vitality of honey bees as well as to improve pollination strategies.

Plant a Garden!

Planting bee-friendly plants like lavender, glory bushes, jasmine, rosemary, coreopsis, violets, thyme, wisteria, bluebells, trumpet vine, sunflowers, cone flowers, and cosmos can benefit the health of local honey bees. Put one of these plants in your garden and fearlessly welcome the honey bees that arrive at the scene, knowing that you are benefiting the environment by doing so.

Learn More!

For general information about CCD:  www.helpthehoneybees.com or www.vanishingbees.org

For more information about Project Apis m.: www.projectapism.org