Bees, once a pest, are now a hot commodity to farmers
Problem is, no one knows for sure if it's coming here - or exactly why it's happening.
"We don't know," said Meyer, of Edwardsville, treasurer of the Illinois State Beekeepers Association. "That's unpredictable."The phenomenon, called Colony Collapse Disorder and first reported in late 2006, is credited with killing up to a quarter of the country's 2.4 million bee colonies last year, although it's still unclear what causes it. Adult honey bees just suddenly die off, leaving hives and honeycombs empty.
That may be good for those afraid of stingers, but it's potentiality devastating for both professional beekeepers and the farmers who rely on honeybees to pollinate plants and the country's $14 billion worth of crops.
Bees, after all, carry lots of pollen, and every time they enter a new flower, they leave a little behind - providing just the genetic spark a plant needs to reproduce.
No bees, no fruit.
Last year, the disorder was identified in 35 states, including Illinois, according to a study by Montana-based research firm Bee Alert Technology Inc. of data submitted by beekeepers.
Those types of numbers worry Chris Eckert, a seventh-generation fruit tree farmer who manages hundreds of acres for his family business, Eckert's Orchards, in Belleville.
He said the cost of renting bees from local beekeepers has slowly jerked higher as concerns mount that the hives will disappear. Two weeks ago, when bees were dropped off to pollinate apple trees - a major source of income for Eckert's - the fees were event higher, Eckert said. (Bees are also the primary pollinator for pumpkins, another big draw for the orchard.)
That's where the worry is, said Eckert, who also runs operations in Grafton and Millstadt.
"Yes, it's concerning from the cost perspective. The cost of pollinating has been impacted," he said. "Bees are hard to find."
The good news, at least for now, is that this year Colony Collapse Disorder has missed Illinois.
"So far, Madison and St. Clair counties and Illinois has been free of CCD," said Meyer, who for 30 years has been a bee and apiary inspector for the state Agriculture Department.
He said no one knows why it hasn't come here yet - there are lots of plants, cornfields and other pollination platforms - or what's causing the shift.
"We still haven't figured it out," Meyer said.
Several federal studies are tackling possible causes, although farmers privately identify a range of possible culprits, from cell phone signals and pesticides to genetically-modified crops, malnutrition and stress from traveling. (Researchers from the University of Virginia on Monday released a study showing pollution may play a role, since the fumes can block scent trails used by bees.)
For now, Department of Agriculture inspectors are constantly monitoring bee populations and trying to spot unusual behavior that might foreshadow a big die-off in the colony, said Steve Chard, the apiary inspection supervisor for the agency in Springfield.
He said there have been no reported cases, although no one is relaxing quite yet.
"We're looking for CCD-like symptoms," he said. The symptoms can include lethargic bees - or no bees at all.
It's important business, Chard said.
Bees pollinate crops that make up a third of the U.S. diet, according to a Congressional Report Service study last year. Locally, an outbreak of CCD could devastate the state's massive agricultural market, especially soybeans, although Chard wouldn't venture to guess what kind of financial hit the area would suffer.
"It certainly would have a significant impact," he said.
But without a clear cause of CCD, Eckert said, figuring how steps to take is a challenge. He's hopeful the disorder won't hurt his crops or fall bounty.
"It's hit some people," he said. "But there's just not much on what the real cause is."
Bee-ware: Bees important link for numerous foods
While no one can figure out what causes it, the phenomenon of bees suddenly dying off dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder has the prospect of causing significant losses to the nation's agricultural system, which relies heavily on bees for pollination.
Among the products that rely almost completely on honeybees are:
- Almonds
- Apples
- Avocados
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Cherries
- Kiwi fruit
- Macadamia nuts
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Onions
- Legume seeds
- Pumpkins
- Squash
- Sunflowers
Source: Congressional Research Service
