Review Colony Collapse Disorder In Honey Bee Colonies Across The United States

Review colony collapse disorder in honey bee colonies across the United States : hearing before the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture of the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, March 29, 2007.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Starting in late 2006, commercial migratory beekeepers along the East Coast of the U.S. began reporting sharp declines in their honey bee colonies. Scientists named this phenomenon Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Overall, the number of managed honey bee colonies dropped an estimated 35.8% in the winter of 2007/2008. The reasons for colony losses are not yet known. Contents of this report: (1) Importance of Honey Bee Pollination; (2) Extent and Symptoms of CCD: Past Honey Bee Population Losses; How CCD Differs from Past Bee Colony Losses; Symptoms of CCD; Possible Causes of CCD; Other Related Events; (3) Issues for Congress; 2008 Farm Bill: Conservation; Research; Insurance and Disaster Provisions. Charts and tables.

Starting in late 2006, commercial migratory bee-keepers along the East Coast of the United States began reporting sharp declines in their honey bee colonies. Because of the severity and unusual circumstances of these colony declines, scientists named this phenomenon colony collapse disorder (CCD). Reports indicate that bee-keepers in most states have been affected. Overall, the number of managed honey bee colonies dropped an estimated 35.8% and 31.8% in the winters of 20062008, and 28.6% in 2009. To date, the precise reasons for colony losses are not yet known. Honey bees are the most economically valuable pollinators of agricultural crops world-wide. Scientists at universities and the USDA frequently assert that bee pollination is involved in about one-third of the U.S. diet, and contributes to the production of a wide range of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, forage crops, some field crops, and other specialty crops. The monetary value of honey bees as commercial pollinators in the U.S. is estimated at $1520 billion annually. This book provides an overview of the importance of honey bee pollination to U.S. agricultural production and the extent and symptoms of CCD and how it differs from previous honey bee colony losses.Also discussed are the policy options and actions that Congress has taken to address this issues.

This comprehensive compilation of official government documents provides complete details about Colony Collapse Disorder affecting honey bees, with the 2013 report on the suspected causes of the devastating problem, and earlier reports thoroughly tracing the history of CCD to it origin. During the winter of 2006-2007, some beekeepers began to report unusually high losses of 30-90 percent of their hives. As many as 50 percent of all affected colonies demonstrated symptoms inconsistent with any known causes of honeybee death: sudden loss of a colony's worker bee population with very few dead bees found near the colony. The queen and brood (young) remained, and the colonies had relatively abundant honey and pollen reserves. But hives cannot sustain themselves without worker bees and would eventually die. This combination of events resulting in the loss of a bee colony has been called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Although agricultural records from more than a century ago note occasional bee "disappearances" and "dwindling" colonies in some years, it is uncertain whether the colonies had the same combination of factors associated with CCD. What we do know from the data from beekeepers for 2010/2011 is that CCD is still a concern. The new report notes the following: Consensus is building that a complex set of stressors and pathogens is associated with CCD, and researchers are increasingly using multi-factorial approaches to studying causes of colony losses. The parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains the single most detrimental pest of honey bees, and is closely associated with overwintering colony declines. Multiple virus species have been associated with CCD. Varroa is known to cause amplified levels of viruses. The bacterial disease European foulbrood is being detected more often in the U.S. and may be linked to colony loss. Nutrition has a major impact on individual bee and colony longevity. Research indicates that gut microbes associated with honey bees play key roles in enhancement of nutrition, detoxification of chemicals, and protection against diseases. Acute and sublethal effects of pesticides on honey bees have been increasingly documented, and are a primary concern. Further tier 2 (semi-field conditions) and tier 3 (field conditions) research is required to establish the risks associated with pesticide exposure to U.S. honey bee declines in general. The most pressing pesticide research questions lie in determining the actual field-relevant pesticide exposure bees receive and the effects of pervasive exposure to multiple pesticides on bee health and productivity of whole honey bee colonies. Long-term cryopreservation of honey bee semen has been successfully developed and provides the means for long-term preservation of "top-tier" domestic honey bee germplasm for breeding. Genetic variation improves bee thermoregulation, disease resistance and worker productivity. Genomic insights from sequencing the honey bee genome are now widely used to understand and address major questions of breeding, parasite interactions, novel controls (e.g., RNAi), and management to make bees less stressed and more productive.

The International Handbook of Science Education is a two volume edition pertaining to the most significant issues in science education. It is a follow-up to the first Handbook, published in 1998, which is seen as the most authoritative resource ever produced in science education. The chapters in this edition are reviews of research in science education and retain the strong international flavor of the project. It covers the diverse theories and methods that have been a foundation for science education and continue to characterize this field. Each section contains a lead chapter that provides an overview and synthesis of the field and related chapters that provide a narrower focus on research and current thinking on the key issues in that field. Leading researchers from around the world have participated as authors and consultants to produce a resource that is comprehensive, detailed and up to date. The chapters provide the most recent and advanced thinking in science education making the Handbook again the most authoritative resource in science education.

This comprehensive compilation of official government documents provides complete details about Colony Collapse Disorder affecting honey bees, with the latest 2013 report on the suspected causes of the devastating problem, and earlier reports thoroughly tracing the history of CCD to it origin.During the winter of 2006-2007, some beekeepers began to report unusually high losses of 30-90 percent of their hives. As many as 50 percent of all affected colonies demonstrated symptoms inconsistent with any known causes of honeybee death: sudden loss of a colony's worker bee population with very few dead bees found near the colony. The queen and brood (young) remained, and the colonies had relatively abundant honey and pollen reserves. But hives cannot sustain themselves without worker bees and would eventually die. This combination of events resulting in the loss of a bee colony has been called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Although agricultural records from more than a century ago note occasional bee "disappearances" and "dwindling" colonies in some years, it is uncertain whether the colonies had the same combination of factors associated with CCD. What we do know from the data from beekeepers for 2010/2011 is that CCD is still a concern.The new report notes the following:Consensus is building that a complex set of stressors and pathogens is associated with CCD, and researchers are increasingly using multi-factorial approaches to studying causes of colony losses.The parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains the single most detrimental pest of honey bees, and is closely associated with overwintering colony declines. Multiple virus species have been associated with CCD. Varroa is known to cause amplified levels of viruses. The bacterial disease European foulbrood is being detected more often in the U.S. and may be linked to colony loss. Nutrition has a major impact on individual bee and colony longevity. Research indicates that gut microbes associated with honey bees play key roles in enhancement of nutrition, detoxification of chemicals, and protection against diseases. Acute and sublethal effects of pesticides on honey bees have been increasingly documented, and are a primary concern. Further tier 2 (semi-field conditions) and tier 3 (field conditions) research is required to establish the risks associated with pesticide exposure to U.S. honey bee declines in general. The most pressing pesticide research questions lie in determining the actual field-relevant pesticide exposure bees receive and the effects of pervasive exposure to multiple pesticides on bee health and productivity of whole honey bee colonies. Long-term cryopreservation of honey bee semen has been successfully developed and provides the means for long-term preservation of "top-tier" domestic honey bee germplasm for breeding. Genetic variation improves bee thermoregulation, disease resistance and worker productivity. Genomic insights from sequencing the honey bee genome are now widely used to understand and address major questions of breeding, parasite interactions, novel controls (e.g., RNAi), and management to make bees less stressed and more productive.