Recent reports that the widespread die-off of honey bees could be associated with a class of pesticide known as neonicotinoids is a promising development and one that even local gardeners can do something about.

Observers of colony collapse disorder, as the die-off is being described, have watched as honeybee populations, so vitally important in the food chain since they pollinate the flowers that turn into the fruit and vegetables we consume, have dwindled by about half since 2006.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, scientists have not determined an exact cause of the collapse, but neonicotinoids, a wide range of chemicals that were introduced in 1994 and now are used on one-third of all crops, are on the list of likely culprits. And the recent collapse, which has claimed between 30 and 90 percent of beehives in North America, isn’t the first of its kind. In 1880, the 1920s and the 1960s, bees were also found disappearing in large numbers. Some of those colony collapses have been linked to harsh winters and springs, but others have no identifiable causes.

The recent collapse has been ongoing for almost 10 years. Some have suspected cellphone towers emitting radiation poisonous to bees. Other theories range from noise pollution to Mexican killer bees attacking their rivals. While the source of the collapse is still in question, the impact can’t be debated. The government says the country’s bee population has dwindled from 5 million in the 1940s to 2.5 million. From 2006-2011, beehive owners experienced a sizeable die-off each season. A warm winter helped in 2011 but since, the die-off has continued at previous rates, according to government studies. These numbers, if they continue, could prove devastating to America’s food delivery system.

Growers have adapted. Where once they could rely on bees to naturally flock to their farm fields to pollinate the crop, many now import bees to do the job. Local apple growers are among this trend. They must contract a company with bees enough to pollinate their crops. The 400-acre Randall Orchards in Standish is among the clients who must now factor the costs of pollination into their annual budget. But with beehive owners suffering losses, the costs for such services are on the increase, according to the agriculture department. The following statement by the department’s Agricultural Research Service succinctly lays out the dire situation:

“If losses continue at the 33 percent level, it could threaten the economic viability of the bee pollination industry. Honeybees would not disappear entirely, but the cost of honeybee pollination services would rise, and those increased costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers through higher food costs. Now is the time for research into the cause and treatment of (colony collapse disorder) before (it) becomes an agricultural crisis.”

More research is needed. That and some common-sense practices by growers, including home gardeners. Luckily, this grassroots approach has already begun here in Maine with nurseries getting serious about the issue.

Among them are Christine Viscone and her husband, Joe, owners of the Highland Avenue Greenhouse & Farm Market in Scarborough, who recently took part in a press conference organized by the Organic Consumers Association. The point of the event was to spotlight a recently completed study by the Friends of the Earth and the Pesticide Research Institute, which found that 51 percent of the plant samples purchased at top garden retailers in 18 North American cities contained neonicotinoid pesticides, which they strongly believe to be a factor in colony collapse. One of the study’s ironic findings is that the pesticide is being used on plants that attract bees, greatly increasing the likelihood that bees could be exposed to high doses.

While neonicotinoids may not kill the bee outright, the government is trying to determine whether the pesticide could be causing sub-lethal effects, such as inhibiting the bee’s ability to navigate.

While the jury is still out, the best thing for local gardeners to do would be to halt their use of neonicotinoids. Casting a skeptical eye on all chemicals, in this day and age when chemicals are being linked to cancers and other health problems, is a prudent action. The agriculture department also advocates a conservative approach: “The best action the public can take to improve honeybee survival is not to use pesticides indiscriminately. In particular, the public should avoid applying pesticides during mid-day hours, when honey bees are most likely to be out foraging for nectar and pollen on flowering plants.”

While past colony collapses have worked themselves out, with bees learning to adapt to whatever is causing their decline, the current collapse doesn’t seem to have any sign of letting up. That should worry everyone from health-conscious vegetable gardeners to Big Mac connoisseurs. Pretty much everything we eat gets its start from the humble honeybee. This colony collapse should push us to action, on a global and local scale.

–John Balentine, managing editor

Recent reports that the widespread die-off of honey bees could be associated with a class of pesticide known as neonicotinoids is a promising development and one that even local gardeners can do something about.

Observers of colony collapse disorder, as the die-off is being described, have watched as honeybee populations, so vitally important in the food chain since they pollinate the flowers that turn into the fruit and vegetables we consume, have dwindled by about half since 2006.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, scientists have not determined an exact cause of the collapse, but neonicotinoids, a wide range of chemicals that were introduced in 1994 and now are used on one-third of all crops, are on the list of likely culprits. And the recent collapse, which has claimed between 30 and 90 percent of beehives in North America, isn’t the first of its kind. In 1880, the 1920s and the 1960s, bees were also found disappearing in large numbers. Some of those colony collapses have been linked to harsh winters and springs, but others have no identifiable causes.

The recent collapse has been ongoing for almost 10 years. Some have suspected cellphone towers emitting radiation poisonous to bees. Other theories range from noise pollution to Mexican killer bees attacking their rivals. While the source of the collapse is still in question, the impact can’t be debated. The government says the country’s bee population has dwindled from 5 million in the 1940s to 2.5 million. From 2006-2011, beehive owners experienced a sizeable die-off each season. A warm winter helped in 2011 but since, the die-off has continued at previous rates, according to government studies. These numbers, if they continue, could prove devastating to America’s food delivery system.

Growers have adapted. Where once they could rely on bees to naturally flock to their farm fields to pollinate the crop, many now import bees to do the job. Local apple growers are among this trend. They must contract a company with bees enough to pollinate their crops. The 400-acre Randall Orchards in Standish is among the clients who must now factor the costs of pollination into their annual budget. But with beehive owners suffering losses, the costs for such services are on the increase, according to the agriculture department. The following statement by the department’s Agricultural Research Service succinctly lays out the dire situation:

“If losses continue at the 33 percent level, it could threaten the economic viability of the bee pollination industry. Honeybees would not disappear entirely, but the cost of honeybee pollination services would rise, and those increased costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers through higher food costs. Now is the time for research into the cause and treatment of (colony collapse disorder) before (it) becomes an agricultural crisis.”

More research is needed. That and some common-sense practices by growers, including home gardeners. Luckily, this grassroots approach has already begun here in Maine with nurseries getting serious about the issue.

Among them are Christine Viscone and her husband, Joe, owners of the Highland Avenue Greenhouse & Farm Market in Scarborough, who recently took part in a press conference organized by the Organic Consumers Association. The point of the event was to spotlight a recently completed study by the Friends of the Earth and the Pesticide Research Institute, which found that 51 percent of the plant samples purchased at top garden retailers in 18 North American cities contained neonicotinoid pesticides, which they strongly believe to be a factor in colony collapse. One of the study’s ironic findings is that the pesticide is being used on plants that attract bees, greatly increasing the likelihood that bees could be exposed to high doses.

While neonicotinoids may not kill the bee outright, the government is trying to determine whether the pesticide could be causing sub-lethal effects, such as inhibiting the bee’s ability to navigate.

While the jury is still out, the best thing for local gardeners to do would be to halt their use of neonicotinoids. Casting a skeptical eye on all chemicals, in this day and age when chemicals are being linked to cancers and other health problems, is a prudent action. The agriculture department also advocates a conservative approach: “The best action the public can take to improve honeybee survival is not to use pesticides indiscriminately. In particular, the public should avoid applying pesticides during mid-day hours, when honey bees are most likely to be out foraging for nectar and pollen on flowering plants.”

While past colony collapses have worked themselves out, with bees learning to adapt to whatever is causing their decline, the current collapse doesn’t seem to have any sign of letting up. That should worry everyone from health-conscious vegetable gardeners to Big Mac connoisseurs. Pretty much everything we eat gets its start from the humble honeybee. This colony collapse should push us to action, on a global and local scale.

–John Balentine, managing editor