Bee Shortage: Why Are the Bees Dying?

Scientist Point to 3 Possible Reasons for the Shortage

Researchers are wary about some environmental substances. Chris Mullen, a professor and insect toxicologist at Pennsylvania State University, recently sent a set of samples to be tested at a federal laboratory in Raleigh, NC. The laboratory will screen for 117 chemicals. Currently, of most concern is a "systemic" chemical. These chemicals pass through a plants circulatory system and move to the new leaves or flowers, which comes in contact with the bees.

In the late 1990's, French beekeepers reported a large loss in bees. It was believed to be in correlation with one group of systemic chemical compounds, neonicotinois. One of the neonicotinois', imidacloprid, is a commonly used pesticide in America and Europe. It is used to treat corn and other seed against pests, to protect residential foundations against termites and help keep golf courses and home lawns green.

In France, imidacloprid was sold under the name, Gaucho. While the chemical was not killing the bees out-and-out, it was causing them to become disoriented and stay away from their hive, leading them to die from exposure to the cold. The beekeepers labeled the condition "mad bee disease."

Among the pesticides being tested in America, imidacloprid is the most likely suspect.

Immune Deficiency

As the current investigation enters a critical phase, researchers have begun collecting samples from several states and are doing bee autopsies and genetic analysis. The genetic analysis that has been done at Columbia University has revealed a presence of multiple micro-organisms in the bees that were found in the hives or colonies that are on the decline. This presence proposes that something is weakening the bee's immune systems. The researchers have also found a fungus in the affected bees. This particular fungus is also found in humans whose immune systems have been suppressed by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or cancer.

The team of scientists say that an answer to the mysterious colony collapse disorder could still be months away. But, there have been recent advance in biology and genetic sequencing that are quickening the search for answers.

Computers are helping decipher information from the bee's DNA and match pieces of genetic code with particular organisms. This is being done with the help of a project completed last year at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. The project sequences about 11,000 genes of the honey bee, giving scientists a large jump start on identifying unknown pathogens in the bee's tissue.