colony collapse disorder

One of the biggest issues of our generation just might be the collapse of the honeybee population (and the populations of several other pollinators). The decline in pollinators threatens one third of our food supply and already has created problems in the honey and almond industries and considerable concern among scientists and farmers who depend on bees. It is a genuine crisis that seems to be getting worse from year to year.

I have written about this crisis and have been in touch with some of the scientists who study this. I need to get around to another diary as soon as I can, but have been distracted by other issues. But for those who want to learn more about it, PBS will be having a program on the decline of the bees on its show Nature.

I haven't watched Nature in some time, but I remember when it first started and I did watch it for many years. It has always been one of the best nature programs on television, from its very first episode (Flight of the Condor with some of the best nature photography ever).

I am sure that they will do a good job with this issue and if you are concerned about the environment and/or our food supply, you probably want to watch it:

Sunday, October 28 at 8pm and November 3, 6:00pm
Nature: "Silence of the Bees"
In Nature's season premiere

UPDATED with more links and info (NOTE: all links to Science magazine are subscription)

This is a topic I have meant to write about for months, but never got around to. But I have been seeing more and more about this recently and things are getting worse.

Roughly one third of our food supply depends on pollination by animals, mostly insects. The primary pollinator in our nation, as well as around the world, is the European honey bee. This single species is responsible for about 80% of pollination in America. Simply put, our food supply largely depends on the bee more than on any other single species...other than ourselves, I guess.

For some years now, the honeybee has been declining. So far there has not been a single clear cause identified for this decline, but the decline has been worrisome and as, of the end of last year, a mite infestation seemed to be one of the primary causes, as well as simple competition with "Africnaized" bees which are not quite as general of pollinators as the "European" variety. (As a side note, as with humans, all commercially important honeybees seem to have originated in Africa, and have spread across the world through three wave of migration out of Africa.)