The Bees Are Fine, Thanks to Us

WE keep hearing the Chicken Little narratives about the environment. Of course, humans, and our activities are always to blame. However, there is one story that hasn't received a lot of attention, where we humans have been beneficial. 

WE guess it goes without saying that humans were blamed for the original problem; nothing new here. It could have been our pesticides, our GMO crops, or something else completely natural. Yes, these things happen. WE're talking about colony collapse disorder. As in, honey bee colonies. 

A story in National Review, Bee-pocalypse Now? Nope. describes the situation:

You’ve probably heard by now that bees are mysteriously dying. In 2006, commercial beekeepers began to witness unusually high rates of honeybee die-offs over the winter — increasing from an average of 15 percent to more than 30 percent. Everything from genetically modified crops to pesticides (even cell phones) has been blamed. The phenomenon was soon given a name: colony collapse disorder.

The media love to hype the negative, especially as it applies to original sin of the Gaia religion.

Ever since, the media has warned us of a “beemaggedon” or “beepocalypse” posing a “threat to our food supply.” By 2013, NPR declared that bee declines may cause “a crisis point for crops,” and the cover of Time magazine foretold of a “world without bees.” This spring, there was more bad news. Beekeepers reported losing 42.1 percent of their colonies over the last year, prompting more worrisome headlines.

Based on such reports, you might believe that honeybees are nearly gone by now. And because honeybees are such an important pollinator — they reportedly add $15 billion in value to crops and are responsible for pollinating a third of what we eat — the economic consequences must be significant.

Anybody up for another Silent Spring?

And, right on cue, facts not in hand, government comes galloping in to the rescue.

Last year, riding the buzz over dying bees, the Obama administration announced the creation of a pollinator-health task force to develop a “federal strategy” to promote honeybees and other pollinators. Last month the task force unveiled its long-awaited plan, the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The plan aims to reduce honeybee-colony losses to “sustainable” levels and create 7 million acres of pollinator-friendly habitat. It also calls for more than $82 million in federal funding to address pollinator health.

Ah, yes. The habitat. What habitat? Bee keepers love their bees. WE see bee boxes all over the place, and the bees are very well cared for. Pampered even, which brings us to this:

There are more honeybee colonies in the United States today than there were when colony collapse disorder began in 2006. In fact, according to data released in March by the Department of Agriculture, U.S. honeybee-colony numbers are now at a 20-year high. And those colonies are producing plenty of honey. U.S. honey production is also at a 10-year high.

Well, there goes the neighborhood. In fact, one of our contributors told us of a honeybee migration into their front yard a couple of days ago. Millions of bees followed their queen to a juniper bush in the front yard. A call to a local pest control outfit put them in touch with a beekeeper, who enthusiastically responded within minutes. He located the queen, and moved her to a cardboard box. All the other bees dutifully followed her to the box, which the beekeeper set in the passenger seat of his car, and drove away. Honeybees are very docile if you treat them with respect. Those bees will be well cared for.

This is not to deny that beekeeping faces challenges. Today, most experts believe there is no one single culprit for honeybee losses, but rather a multitude of factors. Modern agricultural practices can create stress for honeybees. Commercial beekeepers transport their colonies across the country each year to pollinate a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. This can weaken honeybees and increase their susceptibility to diseases and parasites.

But this is not the first time beekeepers have dealt with bee disease, and they do not stand idly by in the face of such challenges. The Varroa mite, a blood-sucking bee parasite introduced in 1987, has been especially troublesome. Yet beekeepers have proven resilient. Somehow, without a national strategy to help them, beekeepers have maintained their colonies and continued to provide the pollination services our modern agricultural system demands.

Not every problem requires a government solution. We're a resourceful lot. Humans and nature can exist together, for mutually beneficial ends. (Read the entire article...)