BEE NOTES: When the blackberries are ripe and apples falling
from the trees, beware of bees. A few weeks ago now, we told of an
apparent early arrival of “mud wasps” but we hear now that these
types of stinging creatures are out and about in abundance. Our
“favorite” is the hornet but we’ve heard about various bees and
wasps being on the prowl. Bee careful, of course.
GOOD BEES: Honey bees, which seem to be a bit more benign than
some of their aggressive cousins, have been in the news again.
You may recall that biologists have been worried because a
significant number of honey bees have succumbed to what’s called
“Colony Collapse Disorder.” Now, Penn State scientists have found
one clue which may lead to the discovery of the source of this
deadly ailment.
The honey bees with the disorder have been found to have a
higher levels of pathogens and are co-infected with a greater
number of pathogens, researcher says. But still, no individual
pathogen has been singled out as the culprit.
In a recent study, Penn State entomologist Dennis vanEngelsdorp
said the research suggests the disorder “may be contagious or the
result of exposure to a common risk factor that impairs the bees’
immune systems, making them more susceptible to pathogens.”
VanEngelsdorp, who is also acting state apiarist for the
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, noted that higher pathogen
loads are likely to have caused CCD symptoms but what causes the
bees to become infected with so many pathogens is still not
known.
“Although pathogens seem likely to play a critical role in CCD,
that role may be secondary, much like AIDS patients die from
secondary diseases,” he added.
Entomologist Jeff Pettis with the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in
Beltsville, Md., said the study suggests that future research
should focus on monitoring parasite, pathogen and pesticide loads,
as well as potential interactions among pesticide and pathogen
loads.
“While the study’s results don’t indicate a specific cause of
CCD, the results do help scientists narrow the direction of future
CCD research by showing that some possible causes are less likely,”
said Pettis.
Honey bees, of course, are so vital because they help pollinate
many of the foods we consume on a daily basis.
