Bees on Their Knees?
Factors affecting honey bees and other pollinators
Dr. Jeff Pettis USDA- ARS Bee Research Lab Beltsville, MD USA,
Agriculture Natural Ecosystems Presentation Outline
•US honey bee losses and Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD
•Factors affecting honey bees and other pollinators
•Current honey bees losses commercial vs. backyard beekeeper
HONEY BEE LOSSES BEGAN to INCREASE in 2004 -2006 Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)
• Rapid loss of adult worker bees • Few or no dead bees in colony • Colonies dead with excess brood
• Small cluster with queen present (vanEngelsdorp, Pettis et al. PLoS One 2009)
Managed Honey Bee Colonies in the U.S.
7
6
5
4
3
Colonies (Millions) 2
1 NASS data 0 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Almonds in California need 1.5 million bee colonies Major Migratory Routes of Honey Bee Colonies
California almonds require 1.5 million honey bee colonies each year; that represents more than half of all managed colonies In the U.S. Honey Bee Diseases and Pests
Virus
Nosema a gut parasite
Parasitic Varroa mites American foulbrood disease
The 4 Ps Pesticides
Pests and Pathogens
Poor Nutrition How can we improve pollinator health?
Increase floral diversify in the agricultural landscape and increase the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Four year USDA-ARSIndividual Areawide Study bee in vs. North whole Dakota: colony
Compared commercial colonies in diverse CRP landscapes with colonies in less diverse areas Bee Space Winter colony losses have averaged ca. 30% for the past 9 years
What do yearly colony losses look like?
Colony losses are replaced with package bees or by making splits or colony divisions (nucs)
Pollinator Health Summary
• All pollinators are threatened
Pollinator Health Summary
• All pollinators are threatened • In the US we barely meet our pollination in almonds
Pollinator Health Summary
• All pollinators are threatened • In the US we barely meet our pollination in almonds • Pollinators face a variety of problems from pest and pathogens, pesticides to poor nutrition (the 4 Ps)
Pollinator Health Summary
• All pollinators are threatened • In the US we barely meet our pollination in almonds • Pollinators face a variety of problems from pest and pathogens, pesticides to poor nutrition (the 4 Ps) • Increase forage diversity and more IPM
CCD Working Hypothesis
Primary Stress Varroa Mites Management Nutrition Pesticides
Viruses Secondary Pathogens Nosema
Fungi Surveys for pesticide exposure
Chauzat et al. 2006 France systemics found in 69% of pollen samples 1.1 to 5.7 ppb levels
Mullin et al. 2010 United States systemics found in 61% of pollen samples 1 to 1436 ppb levels
Pettis et al. 2014 United States fungicides had interaction with Nosema and average of 9 pesticides in pollen from crops
Colony losses 2009/2010
Winter mortality (%)
(=normal)
31