WASHINGTON—U.S. beekeepers have struggled with the effects of Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, for years and have been uncertain of the cause. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency concluded that the decline in honey bee numbers due to CCD can be attributed to multiple factors.

Factors cited include parasites, disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.

Bill Bundy, president of the Virginia State Beekeepers Association, said CCD “is a multifactor, stress-related problem. Honey bees are suffering from a suppressed immune system due to environmental factors, agricultural chemicals, new pathogens and the chemicals we use to kill pathogens.”

The major parasitic contribution to honey bee decline is the Varroa mite, which has a resistance to chemicals beekeepers use to control mites in their hives. New virus species that contribute to CCD also have been found in the United States.

Honey bees also lack genetic diversity, Bundy noted, and consequently they struggle with thermoregulation, disease resistance and worker productivity.

Poor nutrition is an additional contributing factor to CCD; a poor diet makes bees more susceptible to disease and parasites. “Honey bees forage for multiple sources of their nutrition,” Bundy said, “but no single pollen source can provide all of the amino acids required to create a balanced diet.” A lack of forage negatively affects bee health, making a hive more susceptible to CCD.

Honey bee health is of the utmost importance to American agriculture, both in economic terms and as a crucial part of food production. The commercial honey bee industry relies on the survival of its hives, which are rented to farms for pollination. It is estimated that one-third of the food consumed in the United States depends on pollination.

Contact Bundy at 703-779-0894.