Cameron DeHart
Mr. Bursch
Honors Bio., P. 5
28 November 2013
Colony collapse disorder is a problem that many disregard completely. This is happening with bees all around North America. People will see hives going about their normal routines one day and the next, gone. This is what colony collapse is, and it is ruining the farming industry. The honeybee is one of the biggest agricultural tools. They are the biggest pollinator that there is in the world. While there are other pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterfly's, bees are responsible for a majority of the pollination done. one reason that they are disappearing is because of humans. Without them, we would not have majority of the fruits and vegetables we have today.
Colony collapse disorder, is when colonies will do just that-collapse. There has been so much colony collapse in the U.S. that they have had laws passed to bring bees from foreign countries. However, many people do not realize the dire situation bees are in. Another thing that causes colony collapse disorder is pesticides.Pesticides that are meant to kill the "pests" are not killing the bees. However, what the pesticides are doing is making them forget how to locate the hive, causing death. Another thing is that there are these mites called varroa mites. These extremely small and flat 1.5 mm wide oval-shaped mites that suck the blood of the honeybee broodlings and adults, decreasing the health and longevity of the bee. We are using pesticides to get rid of the mites, preventing the honeybees from letting adaptation and nature take its course. Furthermore, the mites are also adapting faster to the pesticides. In fact, the mites have adapted so well to the pesticides that some variations of pesticides actually make the mites are better off with the pesticides than not.
Many people will have this issue made aware to them when a tomato for example at the local store costs ten dollars a pound due to extreme shortages of pollination, leading to extreme shortages in food. Even though people may know of the problem, it may not have affected them directly yet, so the problem feels "distant" and not an immediate issue that needs to be dealt with a sense of urgency. I believe when people are affected by colony collapse, the issue will be solved. Humans have historically acted off of a basis of necessity, so if people do not feel that the issue is necessary because it does not affect them directly.
Many people will disagree with the reasons I am using to support this. A common thought is since we have enough resources now, colony collapse disorder must be exaggerated and its not really an issue. This is not true because we are starting to see a huge decrease in this recent decade. They have not become extinct yet, but if we continue the way we are, the future of the bee is uncertain. While there are other pollinators, bees pollinate more than other animal in the world. Along with the fact that some plants solely depend on the honey bee to get their nectar.
In conclusion, bees need saving if we the human race want to continue as a prosperous species. To begin we are the main cause that they disappear. North Americas major farming industry will cease to exist without the honeybee. The bees and humans have a symbiotic relationship, so in killing them, the only person that were really hurting is us.
Works Cited
Queen of the Sun. Dir. Taggart Siegel.2010.DVD
Ric Bessin.ca.uky.edu.UK Entomology.2013.Web. 28 November 2013.
wikipedia.org.Wikipedia.2013.Web. 29 November 2013
Mr. Bursch
Honors Bio., P. 5
28 November 2013
Colony Collapse Disorder
Colony collapse disorder, is when colonies will do just that-collapse. There has been so much colony collapse in the U.S. that they have had laws passed to bring bees from foreign countries. However, many people do not realize the dire situation bees are in. Another thing that causes colony collapse disorder is pesticides.Pesticides that are meant to kill the "pests" are not killing the bees. However, what the pesticides are doing is making them forget how to locate the hive, causing death. Another thing is that there are these mites called varroa mites. These extremely small and flat 1.5 mm wide oval-shaped mites that suck the blood of the honeybee broodlings and adults, decreasing the health and longevity of the bee. We are using pesticides to get rid of the mites, preventing the honeybees from letting adaptation and nature take its course. Furthermore, the mites are also adapting faster to the pesticides. In fact, the mites have adapted so well to the pesticides that some variations of pesticides actually make the mites are better off with the pesticides than not.
Many people will have this issue made aware to them when a tomato for example at the local store costs ten dollars a pound due to extreme shortages of pollination, leading to extreme shortages in food. Even though people may know of the problem, it may not have affected them directly yet, so the problem feels "distant" and not an immediate issue that needs to be dealt with a sense of urgency. I believe when people are affected by colony collapse, the issue will be solved. Humans have historically acted off of a basis of necessity, so if people do not feel that the issue is necessary because it does not affect them directly.
Many people will disagree with the reasons I am using to support this. A common thought is since we have enough resources now, colony collapse disorder must be exaggerated and its not really an issue. This is not true because we are starting to see a huge decrease in this recent decade. They have not become extinct yet, but if we continue the way we are, the future of the bee is uncertain. While there are other pollinators, bees pollinate more than other animal in the world. Along with the fact that some plants solely depend on the honey bee to get their nectar.
In conclusion, bees need saving if we the human race want to continue as a prosperous species. To begin we are the main cause that they disappear. North Americas major farming industry will cease to exist without the honeybee. The bees and humans have a symbiotic relationship, so in killing them, the only person that were really hurting is us.
Works Cited
Queen of the Sun. Dir. Taggart Siegel.2010.DVD
Ric Bessin.ca.uky.edu.UK Entomology.2013.Web. 28 November 2013.
wikipedia.org.Wikipedia.2013.Web. 29 November 2013
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