B.E.E. Heroes

What are Other Countries doing?

 

Are there countries that have experienced the problem or issue differently from one another? Similarly?

In the United States, approximately 30% of bees have disappeared or have not survived in the last 5-10 years, this is 50% more than the expected rate. But more recently, many US beekeepers are reporting losses of 40 to 50 percent. In California, the almond orchards, which typically need 1.6 million domesticated bee colonies to pollinate and help produce the crops.

 

Other countries, like in Europe have had a large decrease in bee population due to similar issues as seens in America.

 

In Spain, close to 80% of beehives have disappeared, however Canada and Australia have had no significant problems with bees disappearing so far. Additionally pesticide bans in France have not lead to an increase in survival rates of the honey bees, and though there was a short term improvement after 2005, this may have just been due to a mild winter.

 

 

 

Compare and contrast two or more countries to explore how the issue or problem might look the same or different around the world.

 

The only difference is that Europe decided to ban the use of the bad pesticides before it got too serious; and here in the U.S the situation has gotten so bad that it now takes 60% of the surviving American bee population to populate one Californian crop.

 

Australia

While neonicotinoids are still widely used in Australia, the bees are not yet in decline and are one of the last countries to resist the bee colony collapse. It is thought that this is partly due to the massive population of wild honeybees that pollinate the crops. However there is worry that the Varroa mite could decrease the bee colonies. Without the pollonation of the wild honeybees, Australia would need an additional 480,000 colonies to to provide pollination services.

 

Canada

While Canada was also one of the last countries seeing a decrease in honeybee colonies, more recently the losses have been increasing. If a solution is not put in place, bees will have to be brought in from as far away as Hawaii, Chile and New Zealand. Combinations of pesticide poisoning, fungus, mites and other disease are thought to be possible causes. Recent climate changes in Canada are also thought to have a negative affect, specifically drought and longer winters. Long periods of cold weather result in bees staying together to stay warm, and feeding on honey stores too.