Investigating Sustainability Rose 2013 | Page 3

What is Colony Collapse Disorder ?
Chronic Stress
introduce honeybees around the world : European settlers brought the first hives to the New World in the 1620s . s
A honeybee colony

What is Colony Collapse Disorder ?

Colony Collapse disorder also known as CCD is when worker bees from the beehive , which pollinate all the plants , suddenly disappear and never return to the beehive- ever ! Scientists are still unsure about what is going on . CCD has created a shortage of bees . Although CCD has happened throughout history in apiculture it was renamed CCD in 2006 when an abnormal amount of honeybees disappeared in western North America . Not only did the American beekeepers , but the European beekeepers observed this as well .

What Causes CCD ?

Chronic Stress

Like humans , bees can also get stressed out . Imagine getting up early in the morning and heading outside . You fly all around to every flower you see and pollinate each one giving it equal amount of time . If you had to do this for the rest of your life at a fast pace every single day you definitely would get tired ! I sure would . Bees nowadays are getting overworked and getting stressed out . When the bees get stressed their immune system weakens . This is called chronic stress . Tiny mites called Varroa mites and Tracheal mites feed on their immune system until there is nothing left but millions of dead bees . Chronic stress isn ' t the only factor bees have to deal with .