How Do Bees Disappear With Food Supply
Advanced Composition
9 May 2013
Bees Disappear With Food Supply
Abstract
The number of bees worldwide has greatly decreased over the past seven decades. If this decrease continues, humans will experience a shortage in food due to fewer bees available to pollinate crops. To regrow and preserve the bee population in Iowa, agricultural changes must be made. The author of this proposition investigated various sources specifying elements of the conflict and formulating possible solutions. The resolution of this proposal is derived from that research and underlines how Iowa’s agricultural system can create healthier environments for pollinators. If the objectives of this proposal are accomplished, then immense progress will be made locally …show more content…
in increasing the number of bees.
Table of Contents
Abstract 1
Table of Contents 2
Statement of Problem and Significance 3
Proposed Solution 5
Support 5
Limitations/Obstacles 7
Conclusion 8
Works Cited 10
Annotated Bibliography 11
Statement of Problem and Significance
Two theories have taken the world by storm concerning an astonishing new concept of a world without bees. The first, fortified by the media abroad: if bees went extinct, there would be no plants, and thus no animals, therefore no people. Bees pollinate flowers and other plants, and without pollination plants would stop reproducing. Over time herbivores and omnivores would eat the plants, leaving the earth without crops. Herbivores, having lost their food supply, would reach extinction, followed by secondary consumers. Finally, humans would die, left without vegetables, fruits, or meat.
The second idea describes a more placid life after bees. This theory states plenty of food sources that do not require bees to pollinate them exist. If bees were extinct, plants that depend on bees for pollination would die. The loss of such plants would make room for the rapid expansion of those which do not rely on bees for pollination. Wind alone pollinates wheat, barley, rye, rice, bamboo and corn (Kindersley). Some fruits could be pollinated by hand if bees go extinct. This costly, laborious pollinating process would create hundreds of jobs.
The extinction of bees is plausible as researchers are calling a mass disappearance of bees across the earth Colony Collapse Disorder [CCD], and they estimate that nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies in the United States have vanished (Morelle). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, honey-producing colonies in the U.S. have declined from 5.5 million colonies in 1950 to 2.5 million in 2007 (“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report”). Their rapid disappearance is problematic because the human population keeps growing, and of the 100 crop species that supply 90 percent of the world 's food, bees pollinate more than 70 percent (“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report”).
Although certain crops do not need bees to pollinate them, solely living on those crops is unhealthy and unrealistic. The expansion of such crops that do not need pollinated by bees is clever, but unlikely, considering the duration required for plants to adapt and flourish in new environments (Cressey). These limitations establish life without bees would be a greater struggle than first thought.
Bee colonies have been collapsing in many parts of the globe, and the media cites more than a dozen potential factors contributing to CCD (Morelle). The most prominent of those factors is the use of memory-damaging insecticides.
Commonly used pesticides are causing bee populations to disappear. Pesticides that target cholinergic neurotransmission are highly effective, but their use has been implicated in insect-pollinator population decline. Honeybees are exposed to one widely used class of cholinergic pesticide: Neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are chemicals which act on the central nervous systems—that is the brain and spinal cords—of insects. Insecticides containing neonicotinoids were introduced to the U.S. and Europe around the same time, and shortly followed by a severe loss in pollinators in both parts of the world (“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report”).
Pollinators as well as pests, when exposed to Neonicotinoids, experience a depolarization-block of neuronal firing and inhibit nicotinic responses. This means that when the brain sends out neurotransmitters (specifically ACh) to other parts of the body, the insecticide terminates the action of synoptically released ACh at both nicotinic and muscarinic receptors (Palmer et al.). The result is brain damage, most commonly ending in long term effects on the brain, impairing the pollinators learning capabilities and memory, and disrupting navigation processes. These effects have caused the loss of half a colony or more (“Vanishing Bees”).
Proposed Solution (Thesis)
In order to preserve and protect Iowa’s bees, the Iowa Department of Agriculture must regulate the replacement of current insecticides with less harmful pesticides such as Spinosad and Pyrethrum. Farmers should eradicate the application of neonicotinoids on fields containing large amounts of pollinators, as neonicotinoids cause CCD among bee colonies. Exposure to neonicotinoids causes impairment of learning and memory, disruption of navigation and a reduction in foraging activity in bees (Palmer et al.). Along with the employment of a less harmful pesticide, beekeepers will introduce outbreeding into the bee community. Outbreeding would genetically vary offspring, providing bees with a better chance of survival against disease. Though the solutions presented may seem difficult, a far more problematic situation will arise if bees vanish, and the food supply disappears along with them.
Support
In an effort to support the preservation and protection of bees, use of common pesticides that contain chemicals harmful to bees will be banned from fields containing high concentrations of pollinators. Pesticides comprised with neonicotinoids should be banned from use on any agricultural facility in regular contact with bees.
One study performed by the Division of Neuroscience at Ninewells Medical School uses recordings from mushroom body Kenyon cells in acutely isolated honeybee brains. The division’s research shows that the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and clothianidin block neuromuscular transmission at the neuromuscular junction. This affect inhibits the formation of ion channels, causing malfunctions in communication between the insect’s brain and body (Palmer et al.). These effects are observed at concentrations that are encountered by foraging honeybees and within the hive, and are additive with combined application. The study concludes with a prediction that “exposure to multiple pesticides that target cholinergic signaling will cause enhanced toxicity to pollinators” (Palmer et al.).
A second research conducted by Dr.
Richard Gill and Dr. Nigel Raine at Royal Holloway, researchers at the University of London, focuses on effects of multiple pesticides on bees (Dawson). The variation of chemicals mimics bee foraging habits, as bees normally visit multiple fields and are exposed to numerous pesticides. Bees were exposed to low levels of these pesticides for four weeks, and allowed to travel outside to collect pollen from real flowers, while a close eye was kept on their foraging behavior. Each bee received a radio frequency identification tag to monitor when they left and returned to the hive, and how long each outing lasted (Dawson). The study found that colonies exposed to neonicotinoids sent out more worker bees to collect pollen, but those worker bees were overall less affective at retrieving pollen. This lack of effective foraging limits colony growth …show more content…
(Dawson).
Concerning pesticides, no change in the use of chemicals has been enacted in the past to affect bee colonies. In order to stop loss of mental capacity bees endure under neonicotinoid exposure, insecticides such as Spinosad and Pyrethrum will be used. Both can cause brain damage to bees when wet, but are harmless to bees when dry. If sprayed at dusk or dawn when bees aren’t active, the new pesticides will work efficiently, and bees would remain safe (Boucher).
In extended efforts to preserve the bee population, colonies of bees will be outbred. Outbreeding, the breeding of two distantly related or unrelated individuals or stocks, has been confirmed by multiple biological studies to improve immune defense and fertility (Litman et al.).The application of outbreeding will create more vigorous offspring in terms of survival, growth, and fertility (Peck). New stability presented by outbreeding should give bees stronger immune resistance to harmful substances they may come into contact with while foraging.
With stronger immunity against new substances, and a toxin less harmful to the bee population, bee colonies should be able to thrive and regrow without the stress or mental damage from neonicotinoids. This plan will combine the most supported and plausible courses of action to stop further mistreatment of bees. Without substances and practices, which embody the standard demise of bees, colonies may succeed and grow.
Steve Sheppard, an entomologist at Washington State University published a study, which revealed that about 30 percent of bees in the 700 feral colonies he studied showed traces of genetic code from northern European ancestors, compared with just 2 percent in commercial stock” (Peck).
Limitations/Obstacles
Limitations and obstacles surrounding the proposal include the lack of wild honeybees, preventing strong and effective outbreeding. The already severe loss of honeybees “virtually eliminates any chance that feral drones will mate with commercial queens and liven up the gene pool” (Peck). In other words, too small an amount of wild bees could remain locally to make a significant difference through outbreeding. If local wild bees could not be located and employed, wild bees would be imported from Europe or Asia.
A second limitation is the cost of replacing previously used pesticides with Spinosad and Pyrethrum. In efforts to make the transition between insecticides easier, the Iowa Department of Agriculture will provide funding for Spinosad and Pyrethrum in any case in which the new pesticide proves more costly than the replaced pesticide. This provides a perk to farmers, as they would not only see an increase in pollination of their crops, but would also benefit from the extra money made by switching pesticides.
Conclusion
Globally, the bee population has met a vast decline. The human race needs the bee population to regrow to its original size in order to pollinate necessary crops and feed humans. Without bees, plant life would also suffer, as many plant species would not be able to reproduce. Therefore, a lack of bees affects herbivores and omnivores as well as plants.
In an attempt to solve the missing bee dilemma, the Iowa Department of Agriculture will regulate the replacement of pesticides containing neonicotinoids from farms housing high concentrations of pollinators. Studies have shown that the effects of neonicotinoids on bee brains have induced CCD (Palmer et al.). Finally, in further attempts to regrow the bee population, outbreeding will be introduced in commercial bee colonies, which will provide bee populations with more vigorous offspring.
If humans overlook the extinction of bees, then humans will suffer the consequences of bee extinction. The bee population must be protected and replenished in order to maintain a balance in the earth’s ecosystem. This solution will employ compromises, creating an environment that works well for both bees and farmers. With less involvement from humans, bees will return to a healthier, more natural way of life.
Works Cited
Boucher, T.
Jude. “Spinosad: The First Selective, Broad-Spectrum Insecticide.” Integrated Pest
Management. University Of Conneticut, 1999. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Cressey, Daniel. “Reports Spark Row Over Bee-Bothering Insecticides.” International
Weekly Journal of Science. Nature, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013
Dawson, Rob. "Combined Pesticide Exposure Linked to Impaired Bumblebee Colony Success."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. BBSRC, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report.”
UN News Centr.e UN Publications, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
Kindersley, Dorling. “Pollination.” E. Encyclopedia Science. Infoplease, 2007. 25 Apr. 2013.
Litman, Gary W., et al. “Reconstructing Immune Phylogeny: New Perspectives.” Nature Reviews.
Nature Publishing Group, Nov. 2005. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
Morelle, Rebecca. “Neonicotinoid Pesticides 'Damage Brains of Bees '.” News: Science and
Environment. BBC, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 April 2013.
Palmer, Mary J., et al. “Cholinergic Pesticides Cause Mushroom Body Neuronal Inactivation in
Honeybees.” Nature Communications. Nature, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Apr.
2013.
Peck, Morgan E. “Who Killed All Those Honeybees? We Did.” Discover: The Magazine of Science,
Technology, and the Future. Kalmbach Publishing Co., 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
“Vanishing Bees.” Natural Resource Defense Council. NRDC, 25 July 2008. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Annotated Bibliography
Barbara. “Tuesday’s Tips—Spinosad for Garden Pests.” Bees and Chicks. WordPress, 24 May 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
This blog post highlights the pros and cons of using Spinosad as a pesticide. Spinosad can control a variety of pests, but must be eaten by the insect to be effective. The blog related so my topic by confirming that Spinosad is only harmful to bees while wet, and therefore should be applied to crops during the early morning or late evening hours when bees are not active. This blog receives a three out of five grading on credibility, with five being extremely credible and one being not trustable at all. The information in the blog is helpful but no sources are sited to prove any of the information to be truthful.
Boucher, T. Jude. “Spinosad: The First Selective, Broad-Spectrum Insecticide.” Integrated Pest
Management. University Of Conneticut, 1999. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
This information provided me with evidence that Spinosad is a useful insecticide against pests while also keeping pollinators healthy. The source ranks a 3 out of 5 for usefulness, with 5 being the best score. The source gave me information I needed, but it also provided a vast amount of information irrelevant to my topic.
Cressey, Daniel. “Reports Spark Row Over Bee-Bothering Insecticides.” International
Weekly Journal of Science. Nature, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013
This source presents information concerning legal action and media allegations about the pesticides being used on plants, and their effect on honeybees. The article also throws the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) into the mix, as the organization comes under political pressure to produce a hurried, inadequate assessment of the pesticide/pollinator conflict. The article is relevant to my topic as both are concerned with the way pesticides affect bees. The source has earned 4 out of 5: this is a report -- a short, colloquial communication. Not necessarily based on data or good research, but quite reliable.
Dawson, Rob. "Combined Pesticide Exposure Linked to Impaired Bumblebee Colony Success."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. BBSRC, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
This article introduces and summaries an experiment performed at the University of London. In the experiment, bumblebees were observed after being exposed to different pesticides. Scientists found that bees exposed to the pesticide imidacloprid were less effective foragers, especially when collecting pollen. The lack in pollen leads to a shortage of food in the colony, not as many new workers are raised. Also, the percent of worker bees leaving the colony and getting lost was 55% higher than colonies not exposed to imidacloprid. This source is relevant to my problem in testing the effect of common pesticide chemicals on bees. The websites reliable information earns the source a 4 out of 5. “Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report.” UN
Publications. UN News Centre, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
This article gives reliable information concerning exact numbers and percentages of bees now versus bees in 2007. The publisher is credible, and reviewed worldwide. The information will add logical leeway to my paper. The source receives 5 out of 5: it is reliable and the information is logical and convincing.
“General Information on Pyrethrum, Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids.” Infonet. Biovision, 28 Apr.
2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
This informative website contains useful data about how Pyrethrum is made, how to apply the insecticide, and the effects of Pyrethrum on mammals, invertebrates, and sea life. Like Spinosad, Pyrethrum is affective only when eaten by the undesired pests, and is harmful towards bees when wet. The same application timing should be noted. This source receives 2 out of 5. Though it gave me the information I needed, it also contained a massive amount of information I didn’t desire, and altogether the data in the article was hard to sort through. The information is relevant to my topic because the pesticide discussed is less harmful towards bees than common insecticides used.
Genevieve. “Honeybee Love: Keeping Honeybees Safe While Using Pesticides.” North Coast Gardening. North Coast Gardening, 16 May 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
This blog provides a list of substances used within the agricultural industry, and their individual effects on bee health and wellness. It helped me in the process of finding a solution to the bee calamity by providing substances that don’t hurt bees but also work just as effectively as other products do when exterminating other pests. The blog receives 4 out of 5 for setting up the base knowledge I needed for my solution, with 5 being very helpful in that aspect and one being not helpful at all.
Kindersley, Dorling. “Polination.” Infoplease. E. Encyclopedia Science, 2007. 25 Apr. 2013.
This section of encyclopedia highlights wind pollination and how/what plants are fertilized solely by the wind. The source receives three out of five and will be used in my paper. It is useful because it provides a point that bees are not needed to pollinate all crops.
Litman, Gary W., et al. “Reconstructing Immune Phylogeny: New Perspectives.” Nature Reviews. Nature Publishing Group, Nov. 2005. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
I needed this source to obtain research behind as well as the definition for outbreeding. This source is relevant to my topic in the notion that outbreeding would make bee populations more vigorous and fertile. The source receives a five out of five in usefulness, with five being extremely useful and one being useless.
Morelle, Rebecca. “Neonicotinoid Pesticides 'Damage Brains of Bees '.” News: Science and
Environment. BBC, 27 March 2013. Web. 18 April 2013.
This article discusses the reoccurrence of organizations refusing to acknowledge that common pesticides are endangering pollinators. The article receives a 3 out of 5, it gave me much information I had already read, but it also directed me to two other articles that I think will prove vital to my paper.
Palmer, Mary J., et al.“Cholinergic pesticides cause mushroom body neuronal inactivation in honeybees.” Nature Communications. Nature, 27 March 2013. Web. 18 April 2013.
This article highlights the specific affects both short and long term that bees suffer (mostly within the brain) when exposed to neonicotinoids. Such affects include impairment of learning and memory, disrupted navigation and reduced foraging activity, which may all be included in the support part of my paper. This source rates a five out of five for usefulness, with five being very useful and one being useless.
Peck, Morgan E. “Who Killed All Those Honeybees? We Did.” Discover: The Magazine of Science,
Technology, and the Future. Kalmbach Publishing Co., 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
This magazine article gives insight about the affects inbreeding has taken on bee colonies. Decades of inbreeding practices intended to maximize pollinating efficiency have now limited honeybees’ genetic diversity when they need it the most. (Peck) This article presents information valuable to my research, and introduces a new perspective on CCD. The source gets a five out of five for originality in philosophy, with five being extremely original and 1 being entirely cliché.
Sõukand, Renata, et al. “Uninvited Guests: Traditional Insect Repellents in Estonia Used Against the Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella, Human Flea Pulex irritans and Bedbug Cimex lectularius.” Journal of Insect Science. Tartu University, 9 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2013
This document details old ways of eliminating pests from everyday life. People used plants to rid insects from their homes, as well as eating the plants to rid intestinal worms. The article is relevant to my topic because if plants or other natural resources can be used to repeal certain types of insects, it should be possible to create a strain of crops that repeals unwanted bugs but does not harm bees. This source rates a four out of five for usefulness, with five being extremely useful and one being useless.
“Vanishing Bees.” Natural Resource Defense Council. NRDC, 25 July 2008. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
In this article, the author states the urgency of the Colony Collapse Disorder, or the mass disappearance of seemingly healthy bees. Due to use of pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, and inadequate food supply the worlds pollinators are vanishing. This article is relevant to my topic because it highlights key causes for the bees’ disappearance as well as consequences following the extinction of bees if the problem isn’t solved. The source ranke a three out of fivefor usefulness, with five being extremely useful and one being useless
9 May 2013
Bees Disappear With Food Supply
Abstract
The number of bees worldwide has greatly decreased over the past seven decades. If this decrease continues, humans will experience a shortage in food due to fewer bees available to pollinate crops. To regrow and preserve the bee population in Iowa, agricultural changes must be made. The author of this proposition investigated various sources specifying elements of the conflict and formulating possible solutions. The resolution of this proposal is derived from that research and underlines how Iowa’s agricultural system can create healthier environments for pollinators. If the objectives of this proposal are accomplished, then immense progress will be made locally …show more content…
in increasing the number of bees.
Table of Contents
Abstract 1
Table of Contents 2
Statement of Problem and Significance 3
Proposed Solution 5
Support 5
Limitations/Obstacles 7
Conclusion 8
Works Cited 10
Annotated Bibliography 11
Statement of Problem and Significance
Two theories have taken the world by storm concerning an astonishing new concept of a world without bees. The first, fortified by the media abroad: if bees went extinct, there would be no plants, and thus no animals, therefore no people. Bees pollinate flowers and other plants, and without pollination plants would stop reproducing. Over time herbivores and omnivores would eat the plants, leaving the earth without crops. Herbivores, having lost their food supply, would reach extinction, followed by secondary consumers. Finally, humans would die, left without vegetables, fruits, or meat.
The second idea describes a more placid life after bees. This theory states plenty of food sources that do not require bees to pollinate them exist. If bees were extinct, plants that depend on bees for pollination would die. The loss of such plants would make room for the rapid expansion of those which do not rely on bees for pollination. Wind alone pollinates wheat, barley, rye, rice, bamboo and corn (Kindersley). Some fruits could be pollinated by hand if bees go extinct. This costly, laborious pollinating process would create hundreds of jobs.
The extinction of bees is plausible as researchers are calling a mass disappearance of bees across the earth Colony Collapse Disorder [CCD], and they estimate that nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies in the United States have vanished (Morelle). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, honey-producing colonies in the U.S. have declined from 5.5 million colonies in 1950 to 2.5 million in 2007 (“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report”). Their rapid disappearance is problematic because the human population keeps growing, and of the 100 crop species that supply 90 percent of the world 's food, bees pollinate more than 70 percent (“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report”).
Although certain crops do not need bees to pollinate them, solely living on those crops is unhealthy and unrealistic. The expansion of such crops that do not need pollinated by bees is clever, but unlikely, considering the duration required for plants to adapt and flourish in new environments (Cressey). These limitations establish life without bees would be a greater struggle than first thought.
Bee colonies have been collapsing in many parts of the globe, and the media cites more than a dozen potential factors contributing to CCD (Morelle). The most prominent of those factors is the use of memory-damaging insecticides.
Commonly used pesticides are causing bee populations to disappear. Pesticides that target cholinergic neurotransmission are highly effective, but their use has been implicated in insect-pollinator population decline. Honeybees are exposed to one widely used class of cholinergic pesticide: Neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are chemicals which act on the central nervous systems—that is the brain and spinal cords—of insects. Insecticides containing neonicotinoids were introduced to the U.S. and Europe around the same time, and shortly followed by a severe loss in pollinators in both parts of the world (“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report”).
Pollinators as well as pests, when exposed to Neonicotinoids, experience a depolarization-block of neuronal firing and inhibit nicotinic responses. This means that when the brain sends out neurotransmitters (specifically ACh) to other parts of the body, the insecticide terminates the action of synoptically released ACh at both nicotinic and muscarinic receptors (Palmer et al.). The result is brain damage, most commonly ending in long term effects on the brain, impairing the pollinators learning capabilities and memory, and disrupting navigation processes. These effects have caused the loss of half a colony or more (“Vanishing Bees”).
Proposed Solution (Thesis)
In order to preserve and protect Iowa’s bees, the Iowa Department of Agriculture must regulate the replacement of current insecticides with less harmful pesticides such as Spinosad and Pyrethrum. Farmers should eradicate the application of neonicotinoids on fields containing large amounts of pollinators, as neonicotinoids cause CCD among bee colonies. Exposure to neonicotinoids causes impairment of learning and memory, disruption of navigation and a reduction in foraging activity in bees (Palmer et al.). Along with the employment of a less harmful pesticide, beekeepers will introduce outbreeding into the bee community. Outbreeding would genetically vary offspring, providing bees with a better chance of survival against disease. Though the solutions presented may seem difficult, a far more problematic situation will arise if bees vanish, and the food supply disappears along with them.
Support
In an effort to support the preservation and protection of bees, use of common pesticides that contain chemicals harmful to bees will be banned from fields containing high concentrations of pollinators. Pesticides comprised with neonicotinoids should be banned from use on any agricultural facility in regular contact with bees.
One study performed by the Division of Neuroscience at Ninewells Medical School uses recordings from mushroom body Kenyon cells in acutely isolated honeybee brains. The division’s research shows that the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and clothianidin block neuromuscular transmission at the neuromuscular junction. This affect inhibits the formation of ion channels, causing malfunctions in communication between the insect’s brain and body (Palmer et al.). These effects are observed at concentrations that are encountered by foraging honeybees and within the hive, and are additive with combined application. The study concludes with a prediction that “exposure to multiple pesticides that target cholinergic signaling will cause enhanced toxicity to pollinators” (Palmer et al.).
A second research conducted by Dr.
Richard Gill and Dr. Nigel Raine at Royal Holloway, researchers at the University of London, focuses on effects of multiple pesticides on bees (Dawson). The variation of chemicals mimics bee foraging habits, as bees normally visit multiple fields and are exposed to numerous pesticides. Bees were exposed to low levels of these pesticides for four weeks, and allowed to travel outside to collect pollen from real flowers, while a close eye was kept on their foraging behavior. Each bee received a radio frequency identification tag to monitor when they left and returned to the hive, and how long each outing lasted (Dawson). The study found that colonies exposed to neonicotinoids sent out more worker bees to collect pollen, but those worker bees were overall less affective at retrieving pollen. This lack of effective foraging limits colony growth …show more content…
(Dawson).
Concerning pesticides, no change in the use of chemicals has been enacted in the past to affect bee colonies. In order to stop loss of mental capacity bees endure under neonicotinoid exposure, insecticides such as Spinosad and Pyrethrum will be used. Both can cause brain damage to bees when wet, but are harmless to bees when dry. If sprayed at dusk or dawn when bees aren’t active, the new pesticides will work efficiently, and bees would remain safe (Boucher).
In extended efforts to preserve the bee population, colonies of bees will be outbred. Outbreeding, the breeding of two distantly related or unrelated individuals or stocks, has been confirmed by multiple biological studies to improve immune defense and fertility (Litman et al.).The application of outbreeding will create more vigorous offspring in terms of survival, growth, and fertility (Peck). New stability presented by outbreeding should give bees stronger immune resistance to harmful substances they may come into contact with while foraging.
With stronger immunity against new substances, and a toxin less harmful to the bee population, bee colonies should be able to thrive and regrow without the stress or mental damage from neonicotinoids. This plan will combine the most supported and plausible courses of action to stop further mistreatment of bees. Without substances and practices, which embody the standard demise of bees, colonies may succeed and grow.
Steve Sheppard, an entomologist at Washington State University published a study, which revealed that about 30 percent of bees in the 700 feral colonies he studied showed traces of genetic code from northern European ancestors, compared with just 2 percent in commercial stock” (Peck).
Limitations/Obstacles
Limitations and obstacles surrounding the proposal include the lack of wild honeybees, preventing strong and effective outbreeding. The already severe loss of honeybees “virtually eliminates any chance that feral drones will mate with commercial queens and liven up the gene pool” (Peck). In other words, too small an amount of wild bees could remain locally to make a significant difference through outbreeding. If local wild bees could not be located and employed, wild bees would be imported from Europe or Asia.
A second limitation is the cost of replacing previously used pesticides with Spinosad and Pyrethrum. In efforts to make the transition between insecticides easier, the Iowa Department of Agriculture will provide funding for Spinosad and Pyrethrum in any case in which the new pesticide proves more costly than the replaced pesticide. This provides a perk to farmers, as they would not only see an increase in pollination of their crops, but would also benefit from the extra money made by switching pesticides.
Conclusion
Globally, the bee population has met a vast decline. The human race needs the bee population to regrow to its original size in order to pollinate necessary crops and feed humans. Without bees, plant life would also suffer, as many plant species would not be able to reproduce. Therefore, a lack of bees affects herbivores and omnivores as well as plants.
In an attempt to solve the missing bee dilemma, the Iowa Department of Agriculture will regulate the replacement of pesticides containing neonicotinoids from farms housing high concentrations of pollinators. Studies have shown that the effects of neonicotinoids on bee brains have induced CCD (Palmer et al.). Finally, in further attempts to regrow the bee population, outbreeding will be introduced in commercial bee colonies, which will provide bee populations with more vigorous offspring.
If humans overlook the extinction of bees, then humans will suffer the consequences of bee extinction. The bee population must be protected and replenished in order to maintain a balance in the earth’s ecosystem. This solution will employ compromises, creating an environment that works well for both bees and farmers. With less involvement from humans, bees will return to a healthier, more natural way of life.
Works Cited
Boucher, T.
Jude. “Spinosad: The First Selective, Broad-Spectrum Insecticide.” Integrated Pest
Management. University Of Conneticut, 1999. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Cressey, Daniel. “Reports Spark Row Over Bee-Bothering Insecticides.” International
Weekly Journal of Science. Nature, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013
Dawson, Rob. "Combined Pesticide Exposure Linked to Impaired Bumblebee Colony Success."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. BBSRC, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report.”
UN News Centr.e UN Publications, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
Kindersley, Dorling. “Pollination.” E. Encyclopedia Science. Infoplease, 2007. 25 Apr. 2013.
Litman, Gary W., et al. “Reconstructing Immune Phylogeny: New Perspectives.” Nature Reviews.
Nature Publishing Group, Nov. 2005. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
Morelle, Rebecca. “Neonicotinoid Pesticides 'Damage Brains of Bees '.” News: Science and
Environment. BBC, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 April 2013.
Palmer, Mary J., et al. “Cholinergic Pesticides Cause Mushroom Body Neuronal Inactivation in
Honeybees.” Nature Communications. Nature, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Apr.
2013.
Peck, Morgan E. “Who Killed All Those Honeybees? We Did.” Discover: The Magazine of Science,
Technology, and the Future. Kalmbach Publishing Co., 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
“Vanishing Bees.” Natural Resource Defense Council. NRDC, 25 July 2008. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Annotated Bibliography
Barbara. “Tuesday’s Tips—Spinosad for Garden Pests.” Bees and Chicks. WordPress, 24 May 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
This blog post highlights the pros and cons of using Spinosad as a pesticide. Spinosad can control a variety of pests, but must be eaten by the insect to be effective. The blog related so my topic by confirming that Spinosad is only harmful to bees while wet, and therefore should be applied to crops during the early morning or late evening hours when bees are not active. This blog receives a three out of five grading on credibility, with five being extremely credible and one being not trustable at all. The information in the blog is helpful but no sources are sited to prove any of the information to be truthful.
Boucher, T. Jude. “Spinosad: The First Selective, Broad-Spectrum Insecticide.” Integrated Pest
Management. University Of Conneticut, 1999. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
This information provided me with evidence that Spinosad is a useful insecticide against pests while also keeping pollinators healthy. The source ranks a 3 out of 5 for usefulness, with 5 being the best score. The source gave me information I needed, but it also provided a vast amount of information irrelevant to my topic.
Cressey, Daniel. “Reports Spark Row Over Bee-Bothering Insecticides.” International
Weekly Journal of Science. Nature, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013
This source presents information concerning legal action and media allegations about the pesticides being used on plants, and their effect on honeybees. The article also throws the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) into the mix, as the organization comes under political pressure to produce a hurried, inadequate assessment of the pesticide/pollinator conflict. The article is relevant to my topic as both are concerned with the way pesticides affect bees. The source has earned 4 out of 5: this is a report -- a short, colloquial communication. Not necessarily based on data or good research, but quite reliable.
Dawson, Rob. "Combined Pesticide Exposure Linked to Impaired Bumblebee Colony Success."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. BBSRC, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
This article introduces and summaries an experiment performed at the University of London. In the experiment, bumblebees were observed after being exposed to different pesticides. Scientists found that bees exposed to the pesticide imidacloprid were less effective foragers, especially when collecting pollen. The lack in pollen leads to a shortage of food in the colony, not as many new workers are raised. Also, the percent of worker bees leaving the colony and getting lost was 55% higher than colonies not exposed to imidacloprid. This source is relevant to my problem in testing the effect of common pesticide chemicals on bees. The websites reliable information earns the source a 4 out of 5. “Humans Must Change Behavior to Save Bees, Vital for Food Production—UN Report.” UN
Publications. UN News Centre, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
This article gives reliable information concerning exact numbers and percentages of bees now versus bees in 2007. The publisher is credible, and reviewed worldwide. The information will add logical leeway to my paper. The source receives 5 out of 5: it is reliable and the information is logical and convincing.
“General Information on Pyrethrum, Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids.” Infonet. Biovision, 28 Apr.
2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
This informative website contains useful data about how Pyrethrum is made, how to apply the insecticide, and the effects of Pyrethrum on mammals, invertebrates, and sea life. Like Spinosad, Pyrethrum is affective only when eaten by the undesired pests, and is harmful towards bees when wet. The same application timing should be noted. This source receives 2 out of 5. Though it gave me the information I needed, it also contained a massive amount of information I didn’t desire, and altogether the data in the article was hard to sort through. The information is relevant to my topic because the pesticide discussed is less harmful towards bees than common insecticides used.
Genevieve. “Honeybee Love: Keeping Honeybees Safe While Using Pesticides.” North Coast Gardening. North Coast Gardening, 16 May 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
This blog provides a list of substances used within the agricultural industry, and their individual effects on bee health and wellness. It helped me in the process of finding a solution to the bee calamity by providing substances that don’t hurt bees but also work just as effectively as other products do when exterminating other pests. The blog receives 4 out of 5 for setting up the base knowledge I needed for my solution, with 5 being very helpful in that aspect and one being not helpful at all.
Kindersley, Dorling. “Polination.” Infoplease. E. Encyclopedia Science, 2007. 25 Apr. 2013.
This section of encyclopedia highlights wind pollination and how/what plants are fertilized solely by the wind. The source receives three out of five and will be used in my paper. It is useful because it provides a point that bees are not needed to pollinate all crops.
Litman, Gary W., et al. “Reconstructing Immune Phylogeny: New Perspectives.” Nature Reviews. Nature Publishing Group, Nov. 2005. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
I needed this source to obtain research behind as well as the definition for outbreeding. This source is relevant to my topic in the notion that outbreeding would make bee populations more vigorous and fertile. The source receives a five out of five in usefulness, with five being extremely useful and one being useless.
Morelle, Rebecca. “Neonicotinoid Pesticides 'Damage Brains of Bees '.” News: Science and
Environment. BBC, 27 March 2013. Web. 18 April 2013.
This article discusses the reoccurrence of organizations refusing to acknowledge that common pesticides are endangering pollinators. The article receives a 3 out of 5, it gave me much information I had already read, but it also directed me to two other articles that I think will prove vital to my paper.
Palmer, Mary J., et al.“Cholinergic pesticides cause mushroom body neuronal inactivation in honeybees.” Nature Communications. Nature, 27 March 2013. Web. 18 April 2013.
This article highlights the specific affects both short and long term that bees suffer (mostly within the brain) when exposed to neonicotinoids. Such affects include impairment of learning and memory, disrupted navigation and reduced foraging activity, which may all be included in the support part of my paper. This source rates a five out of five for usefulness, with five being very useful and one being useless.
Peck, Morgan E. “Who Killed All Those Honeybees? We Did.” Discover: The Magazine of Science,
Technology, and the Future. Kalmbach Publishing Co., 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
This magazine article gives insight about the affects inbreeding has taken on bee colonies. Decades of inbreeding practices intended to maximize pollinating efficiency have now limited honeybees’ genetic diversity when they need it the most. (Peck) This article presents information valuable to my research, and introduces a new perspective on CCD. The source gets a five out of five for originality in philosophy, with five being extremely original and 1 being entirely cliché.
Sõukand, Renata, et al. “Uninvited Guests: Traditional Insect Repellents in Estonia Used Against the Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella, Human Flea Pulex irritans and Bedbug Cimex lectularius.” Journal of Insect Science. Tartu University, 9 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2013
This document details old ways of eliminating pests from everyday life. People used plants to rid insects from their homes, as well as eating the plants to rid intestinal worms. The article is relevant to my topic because if plants or other natural resources can be used to repeal certain types of insects, it should be possible to create a strain of crops that repeals unwanted bugs but does not harm bees. This source rates a four out of five for usefulness, with five being extremely useful and one being useless.
“Vanishing Bees.” Natural Resource Defense Council. NRDC, 25 July 2008. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
In this article, the author states the urgency of the Colony Collapse Disorder, or the mass disappearance of seemingly healthy bees. Due to use of pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, and inadequate food supply the worlds pollinators are vanishing. This article is relevant to my topic because it highlights key causes for the bees’ disappearance as well as consequences following the extinction of bees if the problem isn’t solved. The source ranke a three out of fivefor usefulness, with five being extremely useful and one being useless