The Mysterious Disease
Colony collapses have occurred and been documented since before the turn of the 20th century. In the 1880s, the 1920s, and the 1960s, there have been several mentions of honeybees disappearing in works of scientific literature like the American Bee Journal. (Oertel, 1965) It became a greater problem in Canada in the early 2000s, and in the United States beekeepers started making claims in the winter of 2006-2007 that thirty to ninety percent of the bees in their hives had mysteriously disappeared. In general, colony losses are expected over the winter - but in this case, the losses were unusually high. (EPA, 2012)
Since the discovery of this strange phenomenon, many names have been given to it. Some call it the "Mysterious Disease", others the "Disappearing Disease". In the end, it was given a more appropriate title: Colony Collapse Disorder. As well as names, telltale signs of CCD have also been determined:
This isn't the first time that these unexplained losses have been experienced. There is no way to know for sure if those problems documented in the 20th century were caused by the same things that cause CCD, but many of the descriptions sound very similar and there is a possibility that the phenomenon is recurring.
Since the discovery of this strange phenomenon, many names have been given to it. Some call it the "Mysterious Disease", others the "Disappearing Disease". In the end, it was given a more appropriate title: Colony Collapse Disorder. As well as names, telltale signs of CCD have also been determined:
- there are very few or no adult worker bees in the hive
- a live queen bee is still present
- there appear to be no dead bee bodies
- usually, there will also be honey in the hive
- young, immature bees (brood) are often present
This isn't the first time that these unexplained losses have been experienced. There is no way to know for sure if those problems documented in the 20th century were caused by the same things that cause CCD, but many of the descriptions sound very similar and there is a possibility that the phenomenon is recurring.