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Status of Colony Collapse Disorder

Status of Colony Collapse Disorder. Carl Schroedl. Bees. Cons. Pros. Pollination. Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion in added crop value Number of hives needed per acre (4,000 m²) of crop pollination Apples: 1–2 Blueberries: 4 Cantaloupe: 2–4 Cucumber 1–2 Squash: 1

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Status of Colony Collapse Disorder

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  1. Status of Colony Collapse Disorder Carl Schroedl

  2. Bees Cons Pros

  3. Pollination • Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion in added crop value • Number of hives needed per acre (4,000 m²) of crop pollination • Apples: 1–2 • Blueberries: 4 • Cantaloupe: 2–4 • Cucumber 1–2 • Squash: 1 • Watermelon: 1–3

  4. CCD • History: CCD-like occurrences have been recorded erratically since the 1800’s. The bee population sustained by beekeepers has halved from 1945 to 2007 and natural populations dwindle. • Symptoms: disappearance or a sharp decrease in the number of adult honey bees present but with a live queen and no dead honey bees in the hive.

  5. Potential Causes of CCD • Pesticides? • Overcrowded Apiaries? • Migratory Stress? • Genetically Modified Crops? • Varroa destructor / Israel acute paralysis virus ?

  6. Not a Cause of CCD ! • Cellular or Cordless Phones

  7. Now • Losses due to CCD have so far failed to cause an agricultural crisis • Costs have risen for beekeepers and farmers • The genome of the Western Honey Bee has been recently mapped • Research by US Dept. of Agriculture, U of M’s Bee Lab

  8. What you can do • Bee aware ! • Discourage excessive pesticide application • Plant good nectar sources: red clover, foxglove, bee balm, and joe-pye weed • Contact (state) legislators, support CCD research

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