The bumble bees hated me, or so I thought in the early days of volunteering on an organic farm. They dive bombed me when I worked the potato patch next to their hive on the Saanich, BC, property-always buzzing around my head to test whether I was a threat.

These days, there's a new threat to our humble bees that they may not be able to protect themselves against as effectively.

Colony collapse disorder (CCD), otherwise known as the missing bee phenomenon has affected several countries to date, most notably the US, and has put bee researchers on alert. In an affected colony, although there can be plenty of food stores, the adult bees seem to disappear, leaving behind a few young ones and sometimes a queen.

The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturalists said that Canada suffered bee loses of almost double the norm, at 29 percent, in 2006. Experts say, however, that what we have so far experienced isn't confirmed as CCD but is partly the result of a steadily decline over the past 20 years. In particular, parasitic mites did a number on the honeybee population in the 1980s and 1990s.

What's a few less bees, one might ask. Actually, a lot. They're workhorses, accounting for the pollination of one in three bites of food. According to the Canadian Honey Council, they're worth $1 billion to Canada's horticulture industry.

Without honeybees and other natural pollinators, who would play their essential role in supplying our daily bread?

This question is on the minds of the US Working Group on CCD, which has been researching the issue for the past couple of years. The general consensus is that nature's pollinators are influenced by a variety of stressors that are making them increasingly vulnerable to mites, fungi, viruses and bee diseases.

Modern agricultural and beekeeping practices are often far from the family farm methods of old. Due to the practice of monoculture agriculture, bees must travel farther than ever to achieve a nutritionally diverse diet that supports their immunity.

Pesticides and other agrochemicals are another issue, as bees are exposed to them as part of their food supply, not to mention during their daily lives of flight. In industrial beekeeping, hives are trucked long distances, which can overstress the bees and push them to fatigue.

Genetically modified (GM) crops are an ongoing concern, as a three-year field study in Britain found that GM crops combined with strong agrochemicals harmed bees, butterflies and
birds. The effects of electromagnetic radiation should also be considered as a factor according to wireless technology expert George Carlo, PhD.

While the US Working Group on CCD continues their work, so do beekeepers who are keeping
a watchful eye on their hives. Gus Axen of Arila Apiary in Coquitlam, BC, is one of them. Arila Apiary's 180 hives on a blueberry farms have suffered up to 35 percent bee loss, which Axen says was unusual until very recently.

"Am I concerned that we'll lose the honey bee?" he says. "No, I'm not. But I'm concerned that this industry can't stay alive the way it's set up right now. It's a lot of work."

It's a lot of work-for beekeepers and the bees, too.

Considering that many contributing factors being considered are man-made, perhaps it's time to question, how healthy and sustainable our conventional growing systems are. Is colony collapse disorder a warning sign, a symptom of agricultural collapse disorder?

Although the bees on that organic farm never failed to test my patience, we eventually made peace. My memories of that summer wouldn't be the same without them. Nor would, I imagine, what's on my plate.

HANS – Health Action Network Society is Canada's natural health information resource. Support HANS's non-profit work by becoming a member, $35 annually. 604-435-0512 or www.hans.org.

Want to search for other articles that may interest you?

Readers of this article also enjoyed...