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Bee Disappearance On The Rise, Should We Worry?

Albert Einstein once said that if bees disappeared, humans would only have four years left to live. If Einstein's theory is correct, then we're closing in on that mark.

Colony Collapse Disorder was once thought to be just a seasonal fluke thinning the ranks of bees during an especially cold winter. But now it is getting worse. When a hive is affected by CCD, its worker bees suddenly disappear, rendering the colony unable to sustain itself. Scientists are working furiously to determine the cause and come up with a solution, but the problem isn't improving.

Honey bee colonies are dying off at increasingly faster rates: 35 percent of colonies have died in the winters over past few years in the U.S.. This is up from the historical rate of 10 percent.

An article in The Daily Telegraph questioned whether honey bee death could cause a serious problem in global food security, especially since honey bees perform up to 90 percent of the pollination for the global food supply.

British and American beekeepers are pushing for serious investigations into whether pesticides are part of the problem, and the EPA is continuing its investigation of many potential causes.

Read More:



  • Einstein was right - honey bee collapse threatens global food security (The Daily Telegraph)
  • Honeybee colony collapse disorder (EPA)


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