Ask SAM: Colony collapse disorder a mystery

This column is provided by Larimer County Extension's Small Acreage Management (SAM) Program to assist rural residents.

Dear SAM,

I have heard about disappearing bee colonies. What is causing the bees to disappear, and what is the effect on Larimer County?

Eddie

Dear Eddie,

The disappearing bee phenomenon is referred to as colony collapse disorder. Colony collapse is different from other bee colony disorders in that the bees seem to disappear. Rather than finding a hive full of dead bees, beekeepers are finding abandoned hives.

No one knows the cause of colony collapse. This unknown creates an opportunity for much speculation. Suggested causes include an unidentified virus, fungus or bacterium, pesticides, genetically modified plant pollen and radiation from cell phones. While cell phones are certainly an unlikely culprit, the bottom line is that we just don't know the cause.

Colony collapse has been observed in the past. This does not mean the disorder is not cause for concern. The current honeybee decline may be similar to earlier cases or could be caused by a new condition.

Colony collapse has not eliminated honeybees from our landscape. Their numbers are only reduced. If you look in your flower garden or on your fruit trees, you are likely to find many bees doing their work.

Local impact will be concentrated on a few individuals. Commercial and hobby beekeepers in Larimer County and eastern Colorado have reported lost hives. The impact on those beekeepers could be very significant.

Most crops in Larimer County do not rely on bees for pollination. Squash and cucumbers are notable exceptions, but they are relatively minor crops for all but a few farms. Growers of those crops could be affected, primarily by a shortage or increased cost of pollination services.

The crops with the most acres in Larimer County are alfalfa and grass hay, corn, wheat and sugar beets. None of these crops require bee pollination.

If colony collapse disorder leads to increased pollination costs or lower crop yields in major fruit and vegetable producing regions such as California and the Pacific Northwest, we could see higher produce prices in the grocery store. That would affect all of us.

The effect on native plants is expected to be small. Honeybees are not native to North America. They were brought here by Europeans in the 17th century, primarily as a source of honey and beeswax. Many other insects serve as pollinators for our native plants, just as they did before Europeans arrived. Populations of native pollinators have declined over the years, and the honeybee may be doing some of the work of the missing natives. But it is unlikely that native plants will be strongly affected by colony collapse in honeybees.

Events such as colony collapse deserve our attention. In addition to economic impacts, disorders in species such as the honeybee could be indicators of changes in our environment. Like canaries in a mine, the fate of species around us could be a warning signal.

We need to keep things in perspective, however. Diseases and disorders often come and go. While it's interesting to speculate about catastrophes, the best approach is to wait for a researched explanation of colony collapse before we throw away our cell phones.

SAM

Have a question about rural living? Write to Ask SAM, Larimer County Cooperative Extension, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524 or e-mail emarx@larimer.org.