Searching for What's Behind the Bee Decline
One million of the 2.4 million U.S. honeybee colonies perished last winter. What's behind the die-off is still a mystery, but one researcher plans to spend this summer gathering clues
SUBSCRIBE TO Science Quickly
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
You’ve probably heard that the world’s honeybees have suffered stinging losses lately. That’s a big story for us, too—up to $12 billion in crops rely on the fuzzy flyers for pollination. Of the 2.4 million honeybee colonies in the U.S., about one million died off this past winter. Big declines have also been seen in Europe and Asia. The die-off has been dubbed colony collapse disorder and the vanishing bee syndrome.
A couple of species of mites that attack bees were responsible for similar dieoffs in the winters of ’95-’96 and 2000-2001. And the mites may be partly to blame for the most recent honeybee loss. But a quarter of the current carnage seems unrelated to mites or any other pests. Other suggested causes of the bee decline include genetically modified foods, parasites, pesticides, and cell phone radiation. But bee expert Nicholas Calderone of Cornell University said last week that a definitive cause remains elusive. He will spend this summer investigating honeybee colonies throughout the northeast trying to solve the case of the dead bees. Here’s hoping he buzzes in with an answer.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
