Managing Partner; Vashon Organics
Written by Steve Reed, on 26-12-2007 12:30
I have read many hypotheses regarding the possible cause for Colony Collapse Disorder, including vampiric mites, pesticides, electromagnetic radiation, GM crops, climate change and poor beekeeping practices. The latest one I've read and which makes the most sense: A group of scientists have found that a virus - IAPV – may be responsible for Colony Collapse Disorder. (Reference: Cox-Foster, Conlan, Holmes, Palacios, Evans, Moran, Quan, Briese, Hornig, Geiser, Martinson, van Engelsdorn, Kalkstein, Drysdale, Hui, Zhai, Cui, Hutchison, Simons, Egholm and Lipkin. 2007. A metagenomic survey of microbes in honey bee colony collapse disorder. Science doi:10.1126/science.114649
The team found that where there was IAPV, there was CCD. The virus and the affliction were so stongly connected that Cox-Foster and Lipkin estimated that a hive infected with IAPV had a 96% chance of suffering from CCD. Once infected, the chances of a colony collapsing shot up by 65 times.
They also found that when the same equipment that had been used for a CCD hive was reused for a new hive, CCD would be repeated. But irradiating this equipment stopped the spread of CCD.
The researchers said in their paper to remember that they haven’t proved IAPV causes CCD - only more intensive research may accomplish that. But I believe we are looking in the right direction now. |
