The Curious Case of Bees

Honeybees are an incredibly important part of our agriculture system.  Millions of them are transported throughout the United States to pollinate crops on both coasts.  The bees are very valuable, performing an estimated $57 billion worth in ecosystem services, namely pollination.  While honeybees have become a cornerstone of our agriculture, they are also an invasive species to North America.  They were originally brought over from Europe and compete with native species of bees such as the Blue Orchid Bee.  Recently, the bees have been dying due to a “mysterious disease” that started in 2007.  This disease, dubbed the colony collapse disorder, had scientists desperately trying to find a cure because if the bees were wiped out, the crop yields would decrease by huge amounts.  The scientists discovered links between the disease and pesticides and overwork.  In conclusion, we dodged a bullet because the elimination of honeybees could have been disastrous in many ways.

 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=the-curious-case-of-bees-09-04-02