About Bee Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD) is newly-coined name for a honey bee disease, disorder or syndrome that describes the massive die-off affecting an entire colony. It is apparently limited to colonies of the Western honey bee in North America. The cause of the syndrome is not yet well understood and even the existence of this disorder remains disputed. CCD may be environmental, or may be caused by unknown pathogens or by mites or associated diseases. CCD is possibly linked to pesticide use though several studies have found no common environmental factors between unrelated outbreaks studied.

From 1971 to 2006 approximately one half of the U.S. honey bee colonies have vanished, but this decline includes the cumulative losses from all factors such as urbanization, pesticide use, tracheal and Varroa mites and commercial beekeepers retiring and going out of business, and has been fairly gradual. Late in the year 2006 and in early 2007, however, the rate of attrition was alleged to have reached new proportions, and the term “Colony Collapse Disorder” was proposed to describe this sudden rash of disappearances.

Limited occurrences resembling CCD have been documented as early as 1896, and this set of symptoms has in the past several decades been given many different names (disappearing disease, spring dwindle, May disease, autumn collapse, and fall dwindle disease). In none of the past appearances of this syndrome has anyone been able to determine its cause(s). Upon recognition that the syndrome does not seem to be seasonally-restricted, and that it may not be a “disease” in the standard sense (in that there may not be a specific causative agent), the syndrome was re-named.

Phenomenology

The collapse of a colony of honey bees can be characterized by any one of the following:

  • Complete absence of adult bees in colonies, with no or little build-up of dead bees in or in front of the colonies.
  • Presence of capped brood in colonies.
  • Presence of food stores, both honey and bee pollen:
i. which is not immediately robbed by other bees
ii. when attacked by hive pests such as wax moth and Small hive beetle, the attack is noticeably delayed.

Precursor symptoms that may arise before the final colony collapse are:

  • Insufficient workforce to maintain the brood that is present
  • Workforce seems to be made up of young adult bees
  • Queen is uncharacteristically evident outside the hive
  • The colony members are reluctant to consume provided feed, such as sugar syrup and protein supplement.

Date Posted: Wednesday, March 7th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized