The NAPPC Honey Bee Health Task Force
The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) is a collaborative group of scientists, government agencies, NGO’s, private industries and agricultural and environmental concerns that work together to bring the plight of pollinators to national attention and to be the most trusted resource for information and behaviors in support of pollinating animals and the plants with which they interact.  NAPPC works for all species of pollinators across the whole of North America.  NAPPC partners have formed specialist task forces to address all the issues that face pollinators, and one such group is the NAPPC Honey Bee Health Task Force.

The NAPPC Honey Bee Task Force has several functions, determining each year the recipients of honey bee health grants that have for the past four years supported research in honey bee genetics, pesticide exposure, nutrition and management.  In addition, the task force is dedicated to providing the latest findings and perspectives on honey bee health to the public, policy makers and the press.  The following honey bee health issues have been provided by that task force.  We hope you find them useful, and we welcome questions and comments to info@nappc.org.

Honey Bee Health
So much of our agricultural productivity is dependent on the European honey bee (Apris mellifera) that it is no wonder that our attention is drawn to their plight.  When the honey bee suffers, so does agriculture, and so, potentially do all who depend on the bounty that comes from animal pollinated angiosperms, the flowering plants from which we derive many of our most delicious and health-giving fruits and vegetables.

While honey bees are clearly not the only hard working pollinators that deliver a bounty to humans and other animals, their recent deaths from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) starting in 2006 have captured the world’s attention.  To date, CCD has been defined as a series of symptoms, but the cause and the cure have remained complex and elusive.  CCD is not the only problem facing honey bees; in fact, in 2010 the overwintering losses were at the same unsustainable rates of over 30% but the cause seemed to be less from CCD than from other problems.  Below is a list of the variety of issues facing honey bees:

Fungal Diseases:
Nosema ceranae
This microscopic fungus can weaken or even kill colonies when the majority of workers become infected. Spores of the fungus survive on wax combs and stored food inside colonies. When workers eat these spores the fungus invades the lining of the intestine. Highly infected bees cannot digest efficiently and die earlier. Beekeepers use antibiotics and disinfection of hives to control this disease.

Parasites:
The Varroa mite (Varroa destructor)
Is an external parasite that has spread from its original host, the Asian honey bee Apis cerana, to nearly all Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) worldwide. Virtually all European honey bees are highly vulnerable to Varroa mites, although some honey bee strains (VSH, Russians) show partial resistance to the mites. This mite weakens honey bees by sucking hemolymph (“blood”) from its host and by transmitting bee pathogens. A female mite reproduces by invading the cell of a bee larva just before capping. Once inside, the female lays eggs to produce offspring that feed together on the developing bee. The mother mite and her adult daughters emerge from the cell with the young adult bee host. Eventually, at high infestation rates, the mites overwhelm and kill the host colony. Beekeepers control Varroa mite populations by monitoring mite infestation rates and applying chemical treatments when mite populations become too large. Due to increased concerns over the effects of miticides on bees and mite resistance to commercial miticides, researchers are developing alternative approaches (“softer” chemical treatments, the genetics of mite resistance in honey bees, mite pheromones and hormones, and physical treatments) to control this mite.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) Update

Many newspapers and online journals have reported that a major step forward has been made in the research to unravel to mysterious disappearance and death of honey bees called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).  The assertion that CCD has been solved, however, is premature. 

A recently released study has identified a link between the presence of both fungus and virus in the dead bees sent to the researchers to examine for the disorder. However, the researchers themselves are unclear about the exact form of the virus or whether this relationship between the presence of both fungal and viral elements is the cause or the effect of CCD.  The true significance of the findings has yet to be defined.

Unfortunately, the results of this study have been distorted through what are usually reliable media sources.  Media claims of a solution to CCD are, regrettably, exaggerated.  Far from proclaiming that CCD is solved, news reporting should have signaled a new and potentially important step forward in the search for answers. Further adding to the confusion, the overwintering death rates for honey bees have continued at the same unsustainable and disturbing rate this year, but the cause of these deaths seems to be shifting AWAY from traditional CCD symptoms.

In short, exaggerated claims help no one, especially not bees.  At a time when there are thousands of critical issues clambering for attention, declaring a premature fix for a highly complex situation is tantamount to condemning honey bees to less attention, research and real solutions to their plight. 

Keeping perspective on results, demanding exacting science that withstands challenges, insisting on comprehensive and accurate reporting, and basing a prudent course on replicable science is the only way to ensure the future for honey bees, pollinators and the humans who depend on them.

While important research continues to unlock new clues, the beekeeping and research communities agree that this moment continues to be critical for the health of honey bees and all pollinators, and the mystery of CCD remains both complex and elusive.

Laurie Davies Adams
Executive Director