Colony Collapse Disorders in the Honeybee Colonies - Case Study Example

? Colony Collapse Disorders in the Honeybee Colonies The rate of honey production has faced a downward trend since the beginning of agrarian revolution. Obviously, this fall relies upon the under-productivity of the worker bees and infertility among the queen bees and the drone. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is the appropriate phenomena found to provide a better description of this tragedy in the honeybee colonies. In order to unveil proper perception of the colony collapse disorders, this paper will analyze the toxicology of pesticides such as the antibiotics, matricides and neonicotinoid with their particular contributions to CCD. Introduction Colony collapse disorders (CCD) is rather a new term in the field of environmental studies. Many environmentalists resolved to employ the phenomena of CCD in order to provide an explicit understanding to the continued deterioration in the number of honeybees in the bee colonies. The fall in the number of honeybees has led to low production of honey in the field of apiculture. Reduction in the population of bees has also posed a major setback to the field of crop production and agriculture in general. This is due to the fact that many plant varieties especially those that yield fruits majorly rely on the activities of the honeybees in achieving pollination. With much concern on this despair, scientists have embarked on research activities to configure the mess beyond CCD in the honeybee colonies. One of the most noted causes of CCD in the honeybee colonies is excessive use of pesticides in agriculture. The use of pesticides such antibiotics, miticides and neonicotinoid have direct or indirect impacts on the population of the honeybees in the bee colonies. Background Excessive use of pesticides such as the antibiotics, miticides and neonicotinoid pesticides is one of the factors that have led to the colony collapse disorders in the bee colonies. Antibiotics also known as antibacterial are drugs that used to kill bacteria that attack bodies of animals and human beings. Antibiotics also kill fungi and parasites that attack the bodies of animals and human. Miticides are a class of pesticides that used to kill mite. Neonicotinoid pesticides on the other hand are chemical substances that contain imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethomexam that helps inn controlling insects. According to Johnson (2011), the increased level of use of antibiotics among beekeepers in controlling parasites and fungi that attack their bee colonies has led to tremendous effects of CCD in the honeybee colonies. Johnson (2011) in reference to the research findings of the USDA confirms that a single celled parasite called Nosem ceranae developed resistance to the antibiotics hence dire effects of the parasite on the bees continue to exist. The existence of these parasites in the honeybee colonies have resulted to unbearable stress on the bees in the affected colonies. The increased stress in the honeybees leads to reduction of immune system in the bees, leading to death of the affected bees (Johnson, 2011). According to Johnson (2011) in reference to the report of USDA, stress development in the honeybees disrupts the social system of the affected bees in their specific colonies. Johnson (2011) notes that chemical contents such as the imidacloprid found in the neonicotinoid pesticides have substantial impacts on the colony collapse disorders in the honeybee colonies. Referring to the report s of USDA, Johnson (2011) connotes that the use of neonicotinoid as insecticide in plants leaves toxic residues on the plants, which in turn poisons young bees whenever they suck nectar and pollen grains from the infected plants. Even though the neonicotinoid has no direct impact on the health of honeybees, it adversely affects the bees upon excess consumption. The cumulative effects of excess the neonicotinoid chemicals leads to impairment in the navigational power and foraging ability of the honeybees (Johnson, 2011). In addition, Johnson (2011) reports that cumulated neonicotinoid chemicals interfere with the flight mechanism of the honeybees, coordination, recruitment and olfactory memory of the affected honeybees. Burley (2007) relates the causes of colony collapse disorders in the honeybee colonies to the use of miticides. Miticides are chemical compounds used to kill mites. The use of miticides has helped in attempts to control the insurgence of parasitic mites in the colonies of honeybees. Burley (2007) reports that introduction of tracheal mites and the varroa mite in the honeybee colonies has massively contributed to the loss of the worker bees. Direct use of synthetic chemical miticides in controlling parasitic mites has led to accumulation of poisonous residues that have led to the death of honeybees. The chemical residues in the views of Burley (2007) have impeded the redevelopment of queen bees in the hives. The infestation of mites in the honeybee colonies leads to inducement of stress among the bees. The hike in stress levels reduces the immune system of the bees, increasing susceptibility of the bees to diseases such as the nasoma and chalk brood that lead to death of the honeybees (Burley, 2007). Tracheal mite parasites have developed resistance mechanisms to the miticides, which has enabled them to continue living and reproducing in the respiratory systems of the bees. According to Burley (2007), continued existence of the tracheal mites in the honeybee colonies has led to obstruction of the airways and impaired flight mode of the infected honeybees. Moreover, the infestation of the honeybees with the tracheal mite parasites leads to decline in nectar carried by the honeybees back to the hives thereby leading to death of bees as result of hunger. Burley (2007) further demonstrates that upon developing resistivity to miticides, the varromite parasites feed on the hemolymph of the late larva and pupa stages and this results destruction of upcoming bee generations. The varromite parasites infestations also lead to loss of weight of the drone termites thus reducing the working power of the bees (Burley, 2007). In the views of Burley (2007), infestation of honeybees with the varromites has significantly reduced the rate of sperm reproduction among the infected drones. The decline in sperm production has led to low birth rates of pupa in the bee colonies thus leading to gradual extinction. In the views of Burley (2007), the use of miticides leads to physical abnormalities in most of the queen bees. The queen bees that get exposure to the miticides are incapable of holding pregnancies and eventual death. Burley (2007) reports that the use of methanol as miticides leads to reduction in the weight of the honeybees. Methanol also leads to low level of honey production thus resulting to continued death of the bees due to hunger. In addition, methanol leads to reduction in brood levels of the queen bees thereby leading to reduced fertility rates in the honeybee colonies. Articles Conclusions Colony collapse disorders (CCD) in the honeybee colonies is largely attributed to the excess use of chemicals that have had direct or indirect impacts on the bee colonies. Use of insecticides like neonicotinoid in plants has indirectly contributed to the effects of CCD in the honeybee colonies. It is imperative to note that the chemical residues left on the plants after application of insecticides leads to poisoning of bees in the cases of repeated sucking of nectar and pollen grains that are contaminated. Unsuccessful use antibiotics in controlling endoparasites that attack the bees leave the bees with unbearable stress that result in abnormalities in the operation of the bees. Stress also leads to reduction in the fertility rates of the bees and eventual death in extreme cases of stress. It is also worth noting that miticides have severe effects in the lives of the honeybees. The development of pesticide resistant parasites such as tracheal mites and the varromites leads to increased risk to the survival of the honeybees (Burley, 2007). Personal Comment The most probable cause of colony collapse disorders in the honeybee colonies is the effects of miticides used to control parasites in the bee colonies. The worst part of miticides displays when the parasites develop resistant mechanisms. From the above discussion, it is undeniable fact that resistant tracheal mites and varromites are the ones that largely contribute to the collapse of honeybee colonies. The effects of the tracheal mites and varromites on the honey bees ranges from deterred mechanical functions of the bees, infertility in both the queens and the drone bees to death. The infestation of the bees by the parasites also leads to reduction in honey production, which ultimately leads to death of bees due to hunger. Generally, much of the death and CCD largely attributes to the use of the miticides, whose effects have been degenerated by the specific parasites. References Burley, L. (2007). The Effects of Miticides on the Reproductive Physiology of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Queens and Drones. Retrieved on September 29, 2011 from: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08162007-092313/unrestricted/lmburley.pdf Johnson, R. (2011). Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder. Derby (PA): Diane Publishers. Read More