Climate Change and its Effect on the Honey Bee Population of the United States

Focus on: Flow,Word Choice, Conciseness

I had always wanted to go fly. I would see the blue above and this bright thing that made light. They were the most attractive bright colors. Now, I am scared of the outside. The day I will be free from this hive is getting closer and I am getting more terrified.

As a worker I have been working non-stop since my birth. There is never a dull moment in this hive: from greeting brand new bees that the queen gives birth to, to producing our products, to watching older bees leave. This continuous labor makes our life exciting. I knew that I would be put to work since the moment I was no longer a larva. As a larva I treasured those days when I was able to simply be alone and grow in my part of the honeycomb.

Once escaping from the wall of the honeycomb I was told to clean my cell.[1] After cleaning what was left of my egg and covering I followed the rest of my sisters to go visit the new eggs. Our queen lays these eggs what seems like every day. I will admit that I was rather jealous when I saw just how many sisters I already had, how many were with me in the cells, and how many were already in their eggs. Nevertheless, since these are my sisters I take my next task of keeping their eggs and larva warm seriously.[2] Feeding the larvae comes next. We are told to feed the larvae who are almost ready first, then the young.[3] It was while feeding the larvae that I realized I did not just have sisters, but brothers as well.[4] I learned that they were different than me – larger and less important, but I cared for them none the less.

honeycomb_wide-2c4f64a3a0de4582c1f62c306d23ef63da2e2d8c-s900-c85

When my job of feeding was over I was to produce the wax that keeps our food source intact. Soon after, I was to meet the brave foragers of our hive, take the food from them, and store it.[5] Once they transferred the food to me I would see them turn around to go back out into the light. In between these roles I was to make more cells of our comb.[6] I felt important expanding our home, storing our food, and making a vital contribution. Now, I am going to gaurd the entrance to our home – an even more important job.

It is my job to make sure that the bees that come back into our hive are part of my family.[7] If one of my sisters or I make a mistake and let an intruder in they could steal our food. Or worse! We could be invaded and something other than a bee may come in and kill us all. Thus, we take our job very seriously. We make sure the bees have the right smell every time – we do not want to make a mistake.[8]

Every day I see the foragers leave while I guard the entrance. A few days ago I noticed that many bees were flying out into the open, yet at the end of the work day only few came back into the hive. As bees, after we go outside we get tired and eventually die. However, my family was dying at an alarming rate. Even bees who had just started foraging were not coming back. I began to worry. This went on for many days. I watched too many of my sisters leave in hopes of finding food and not coming back to us. Yesterday was my final day of guarding the hive. Tomorrow I will join the foragers because it is my time. I have helped with all I can in this hive while benefiting from my sister’s work, now I must go out and work as they have. In spite of this sense of duty, I feel extreme fear.

As I waited at the entrance of the hive for the previous wave of foragers to come back I looked out down and saw that the ground was a dark color, not the green that my sisters had talked about. Soon enough they came flying back and the new guards let them in. They came to where we waited for them and danced for us. This dance tells us where the food source is.[9] We simply have to take note of the angle by the way they circle. Then, we will know the distance by seeing the way they wiggle their middle. After taking in this information we reach the outside of the hive, hover in the air, and take off.

img_9416

(The Bee’s Waggle Dance, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ijI-g4jHg)

This is not bad – it is not scary. I look down and see brown everywhere. It is warm out here. I am getting tired of flying. There are no bright colors or patches where we can get what we need. The previous bees had said the patch was far, but this feels like I am traveling to another hive! Finally, we get to the patch. There is not much here. All of the nectar has already been taken. Shall we fly further? A bee takes the initiative and begins to fly again. We follow, but a bee who has been a forager for three days falls to the ground. She does not have enough energy because she could not refuel her body. She has died.

We continue to fly for what feels like forever and do not find another patch of colors. Giving up, we begin to fly back home. Two more bees fall from our swarm. I am horrified, but do not turn to look at them. When we get back to the hive I am exhausted and hurry to the food supply. I now understand why so many of my sisters are dying. They do not have the energy to live. It could be me next. Why is this happening? If there are no bright, sweet colors we will not be able to live or carry out our duties. There is nothing we can do.

bees_collecting_pollen_2004-08-14-2

The fear that this bee feels should be equivalent to the fear we should feel about their possible extinction. Now regularly addressed as a “canary in a coal mine,” honey bees have made their way into the spotlight.[10] Their fame does not come as a positive. Honey bees, along with many other species of bees, have been added to the endangered animal list. This addition means that bees will now have protection under the Endangered Species Act.[11] This act makes it possible for the bees to possibly be saved from extinction. The Act will create recovery programs and funding for research of what is causing this decline in population. [12]Arguably, the most important catalyst in this decline of the bee population is climate change. Climate change has contributed to the death of bees in that it causes unbalanced phenology, it disturbs weather patterns, causes the loss of forage sites, brings parasites to hives, and aids in Colony Collapse Disorder.

Bees work according to the weather that is around them. Climate change disturbs basic weather patterns and ruins the honey bee’s forage practices. Two defining weather changes alter the blooming of the flowers the bees go to visit. Lack of rain or drought will equal less flowers.[13] The absence of flowers will cause the bees to try and pollinate flowers that will not give them nectar. Bees will then try to find other flower patches around their hive. They will then pollenate these patches and will eventually run of out flowers to visit. The second change is the longer winters that some parts of the United States are undergoing.[14] A prolonged winter also equals less flowers for bees. Both instances cause the shortage of flowers. It is not just the flowers blooming later, it is the bees not being able to pollenate them. The bees are not moving from the areas of drought or cold.[15] Therefore, the forage sites that are blooming flowers are not getting pollenated and therefore die.

bee_pollen_macro

Climate change is responsible for the unbalanced phenology that is now seen in nature. Rebecca Irwin, a professor at Dartmouth College, was featured in a video titled Timing is Everything: Bees, Flowers, and Climate Change. In this video Irwin presents the fact that climate change “alters” the bee’s phenology.[16] She says that phenology is “the timing of which something occurs.”[17] In this case, the bee’s phenology is when they go out into nature and forage for pollen and nectar from flowers. This timing is set to coincide with the blooming of flowers. However, due to the change of climate flowers are not blooming at the same that bees are meant to go out and forage. In reference to climate change disturbing weather pattern this disturbance affects phenology. For instance, if a winter lasts longer than it is usually expected to the flowers will take longer to bloom in the spring. When bees go out to gather their needs there are no flowers available. Irwin and her team of researchers removed snow from patches of land in order for the flowers to bloom earlier than anticipated. Her and her team did this to study to see if the flowers would attract bees even in the time that bees were not meant to forage. They found that no bees would come. This meant that the flowers were in danger of dying because they would not be pollenated.[18] Instead of fixing the phenology with this experiment they saw the mismatch and the way the climate change has endangered the flowers and the bees.

Bees are susceptible to disease and parasites. There have always been various predators around the world that effect bees. However, because of climate change these diseases, mites, and parasites have begun to expand their “rage of distribution.”[19] Bees were not native in the land that is now the United States. Pilgrims brought them over with them when they came.[20] Of course, there is no way that they could have brought all 30,000 species with them.[21] Even so, the bees that came to the United States found themselves in a territory with much flora and were exposed to new predators. Bees are still dealing with these predators. The Varroa Mite is one parasite that has plagued bees for centuries, it “destroys colonies.”[22] Another parasite is the hive beetle[23]. Both of these parasites kill bees by endangering the colony and “encouraging contact with pathogens.” [24] Examples of pathogens that causes diseases are Verroa Destructor and the Apris Cerana.[25] These diseases can spread in the hive and kill the colony. These are spread because of climate change. The bees who do move their hives come into contact with these parasites and pathogens.[26] Climate change can also cause new species to be created such as the bee-eater and the hive beetle.[27] The bee-eater’s name is self-explanatory, but the hive beetle is a parasite that will kill the bee. These new species have the ability to come into contact with the honey bees if they move their hives. These diseases, mites, and parasites are fatal to the honey bee and can prevail because of climate change.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has puzzled scientists and beekeepers for many years. Climate change is partly to blame for this horrible demise. Parasites, disease, and new species make their way into beekeeper’s hives and the bee’s hives killing all of them.[28] Another reason for CCD is because of the rare forage sites around some hives. Because of CCD the bees may leave their hive or all die from starvation.

handsfull-of-dead-bees

Climate Change has caused the death of honey bees by altering phenology, disturbing weather patterns, and by bringing parasites and diseases to hives. In the United States, 60% of colonies have been lost.[29] This is a problem because 90% of flowers needs pollinators to live.[30] But, this does not just effect flowers. This effects humans as well. “Bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat and are an agricultural commodity that’s been valued at $15 billion annually in the U.S. alone.”[31] Some news outlets say that humans will cease to exist if all bees die. On the contrary, humans would live but would not have the nutrition we need as most fruits and vegetables are pollinated by bees. Since bees are now on the Endangered Species List they will hopefully receive the aid they need in order to prosper and continue to be the hard workers they are. Instead of simply taking their work for granted, we must work to help them.

With quotes: 2107

Without quotes: 2060

[1] “Life Inside a Beehive,” Friends of the Honey Bee, Accessed November 19, 2016, http://www.friendsofthehoneybee.com/learn-about-bees/life-inside-a-beehive/.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] David Cushman, “Guarding Behavior in Worker Honey Bees,” Accessed November 19, 2016, http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/guarding.html.

[8] Ibid.

[9] “Life Inside a Beehive,” Friends of the Honey Bee, Assessed November 19, 2016, http://www.friendsofthehoneybee.com/learn-about-bees/life-inside-a-beehive/.

 

[10] Alex Morris, “What Is Killing America’s Bees and What Does It Mean for Us?” Rolling Stone, August 18, 2015, Accessed November 22, 2016, http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/what-is-killing-americas-bees-and-what-does-it-mean-for-us-20150818.

[11] Rebecca Oh, “Bee Species Added to Endangered List for First Time,” PBS, October 1, 2016, Accessed November 22, 2016, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/bees-endangered-list/.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Yves Le Conte and Maria Navajas, “Climate Change: Impact on Honey Bee Populations and Diseases” ResearchGate, September 2008, Accessed November 19, 2016, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23285587_Climate_change_Impact_on_honey_bee_populations_and_diseases.

[14] Marissa Fessenden, “How Climate Change is Messing with Bees,” Smithsonian, September 8, 2015, Assessed November 19, 2016, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-climate-change-messing-bees-ability-pollinate-180956523/?no-ist

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Yves Le Conte and Maria Navajas, “Climate Change: Impact on Honey Bee Populations and Diseases” ResearchGate, September 2008, Accessed November 19, 2016, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23285587_Climate_change_Impact_on_honey_bee_populations_and_diseases.

[20] Alex Morris, “What Is Killing America’s Bees and What Does It Mean for Us?” Rolling Stone, August 18, 2015, Accessed November 22, 2016, http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/what-is-killing-americas-bees-and-what-does-it-mean-for-us-20150818.

[21] Marissa Fessenden, “How Climate Change is Messing with Bees,” Smithsonian, September 8, 2015, Accessed November 19, 2016, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-climate-change-messing-bees-ability-pollinate-180956523/?no-ist

[22] Yves Le Conte and Maria Navajas, “Climate Change: Impact on Honey Bee Populations and Diseases” ResearchGate, September 2008, Accessed November 19, 2016, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23285587_Climate_change_Impact_on_honey_bee_populations_and_diseases.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Ibid.

[26] Ibid.

[27] Ibid.

[28] Ibid.

[29] Jeremy Lovell, “Beekeepers Abuzz Over Climate Change and Hive Losses,” Scientific American, August 7, 2012, Accessed November 19, 2016, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/beekeepers-abuzz-over-climate-change-and-hive-losses/.

[30] Marissa Fessenden, “How Climate Change is Messing with Bees,” Smithsonian, September 8, 2015, Assessed November 19, 2016, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-climate-change-messing-bees-ability-pollinate-180956523/?no-ist.

[31] Alex Morris, “What Is Killing America’s Bees and What Does It Mean for Us?” Rolling Stone, August 18, 2015, Accessed November 22, 2016,

http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2013/05/13/183704091/what-is-it-about-bees-and-hexagons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_bee

http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov

http://www.exposingtruth.com