Honey Bee Die-Offs Spell Disaster

Now that the weather’s gotten warmer, bees have started coming out of the woodwork. I saw one in my yard just this morning in a patch of clover. Most people know that bees, honey bees in particular, are important for pollination, but few know exactly how important they are for our survival. Einstein himself said that humans would only survive for about four years if bees were to disappear. Given this sobering prediction, it is alarming to find that bees actually are disappearing, and scientists have yet to determine an exact cause.

According to an online article by Grist Magazine, honey bees have suffered an average population loss of 30 percent a year since 2006. The Pesticide Action Network said that this “presents an imminent hazard for U.S. agriculture.” As of right now, 100 crop species provide 90 percent of the world’s food supply. Honey bees pollinate over 70 of these crops including almonds, apples, blueberries, broccoli, onions, and cabbage.

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) among bee populations has increased dramatically in the past few years. This disorder is a mysterious condition in which entire bee colonies disappear by disintegrating, leaving not even their dead bodies behind. Grist interviewed Steve Ellis, secretary of the National Honey Bee Advisory Board (NHBAB). Ellis said that he was able to qualify for disaster relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture because he had so many “abnormal bee die-offs” last year. In addition to colony collapse disorder, bee populations overall have been suffering from poor health and shorter life spans. This means that surviving honey bee populations can pollinate fewer crops.

Potential causes of diminished honey bee health and colony collapse disorder include parasites, viruses, habitat loss, and pesticides. Much of the research conducted recently has focused on improving our understanding of how pesticides affect the health and population size of beneficial insects. Scientists have found that certain pesticides called neonicotinoids or neonics, in particular clothianidin, are deadly for bees. Neonics are used to treat seeds before planting. As the plant grows, the neonics are absorbed by the plant’s vascular system. When honey bees try to collect pollen, the pesticides attack the bees’ central nervous system, killing or sickening them. The genetically modified corn and soybeans that we (unfortunately and often unwittingly) eat today are treated with neonics, and studies have shown that bees do collect pollen from these plants.

Purdue University conducted a study to learn more about neonics and the likelihood that honey bees will be exposed to the pesticides. Researchers found high levels of the neonic clothianidin in the exhaust of planting equipment after the spring planting of treated corn seed. They found neonics in weeds growing near the planted fields, in the soil of nearby unplanted fields, in dead bees found near hive entrances, and in pollen stored inside of the hives. The Pesticide Action Network said that finding neonics in unplanted fields was extremely troubling because these pesticides persist in the soil for years.

This news report discusses Purdue’s study. Pay attention to what the researcher says, but please try to ignore the cheesy reporter.

Do you want further evidence that neonicotinoids are a major problem? A recent article in the International Business Times mentioned another study on these pesticides. Results showed that colony collapse disorder had not been seen in Italy since it banned neonics. While this study does not prove a cause and effect relationship, it does reveal a strong correlation.

Whether you care about the environment or not, this is a problem for everyone, especially since one out of three bites of food on American plates comes directly from honey bee pollination. This is also a problem for big agriculture since the Pesticide Action Network estimates that the crops relying on honey bee pollination are worth over $15 billion per year.

So what can you do?

• Sign this petition from the Pesticide Action Network asking the EPA to ban clothianidin and other neonics.
• While you’re at it, sign this petition asking the EPA to label genetically modified food. It is currently not labeled. We have 10 days to get 12,500 more signatures.
• Support local, organic farmers or grow your own food. This will also help you get fresher, healthier food.
• Support organizations like the Pesticide Action Network and the National Honey Bee Advisory Board.

Thanks for reading! What causes do you care about most? Please let me know in the comments.

California Red-Legged Frogs Make List of Most Threatened

As a nod to leap day a few days ago, I decided to continue the frog theme for this week’s post by discussing the trials and tribulations of the California red-legged frog. This frog, whose scientific name is Rana draytonii, is the largest native frog in the western United States. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, it is also one of the top ten most threatened frogs in the country, having lost 90 percent of its historic population.

ARKive – California red-legged frog photo – Rana draytonii – G106304

The National Wildlife Federation lists four main reasons for the frogs’ decline:

• Disease
•  Invasive predators
• Habitat destruction
• Contamination of freshwater habitats

Disease

Amphibian populations around the world have been falling victim to a fungal disease called chytridiomycosis, and the California red-legged frog is no exception. The spores of the fungus burrow into the skin of frogs and other amphibians while they are swimming. As the fungus spreads, it prevents the skin from transporting nutrients necessary for the heart to function, killing the amphibian. According to the Biodiversity Group, this disease causes more than half of local amphibian species to become locally extinct within six months in any area that it strikes. Any amphibian species remaining only retains about 20 percent of its former population levels.

Frog infected by chytrid fungus (By: Forrest Grem, Source: wikipedia.org)

Invasive Predators

Predators that have been introduced to California from other parts of the U.S. have been detrimental to the red-legged frog population. Invasive species include the crayfish, mosquitofish, and the American bullfrog. While all of these predators eat large amounts of the California red-legged frog, the American bullfrog causes the most damage. Native to the eastern U.S., bullfrogs were introduced throughout the western states to help supply the frog leg industry in these states. In addition, the American bullfrog acts as a carrier for chytrid fungus because it is resistant to the disease.

Habitat Destruction

Save the Frogs, American’s only public charity dedicated to amphibian conservation, estimates that 95 percent of California’s coastal wetlands have been destroyed or damaged. This has had severe consequences for the endangered red-legged frog.

Protecting California red-legged frog habitat has been an ongoing struggle. In 2007, the Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for designating only 450,288 acres of habitat for the frog in a decision that bowed to corporate interests and ignored scientific evidence. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service responded by increasing the protected habitat to 1.6 million acres. This was a great victory for wildlife conservation, but efforts to protect the red-legged frog have not been as fruitful as hoped.

A current example of habitat destruction is the development of California’s Sharp Park Wetlands, an important habitat for the red-legged frogs. The mayor of San Francisco vetoed legislation to protect the wetlands opting instead to approve the construction of a golf course. As San Francisco pumps water out of the wetlands every year, tadpoles are sucked out to sea, and large egg masses are left on the ground to dry out. Because the red-legged frogs are endangered, killing them is a violation of state and federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act. Save the Frogs has created a petition to stop the wetland draining, but only 3,109 people have signed so far.

Contamination of Freshwater Habitats

Despite the acreage set aside in 2007 to protect California red-legged frogs, they are still in danger because pesticides and other chemicals have contaminated their habitats. In 2002, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit to force the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that chemicals registered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service would not be detrimental to the red-legged frog. In 2006, these agencies developed a list of 66 harmful pesticides that could not be used in or near California red-legged frog habitats. Unfortunately, the EPA and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service failed to uphold the agreement. The Center for Biological Diversity sued again in 2011, and the litigation is still ongoing.

What can you do to help?

• Sign the petition asking San Francisco’s mayor to uphold the Endangered Species Act and stop draining Sharp Park Wetlands.
• Spread the word that non-native species should not be released into the wild.
• Do not buy amphibians as pets. This encourages the pet trade, which depletes natural populations, introduces invasive species to new areas, and can lead to the spread of disease.
• Support the protection of your local wetlands to help amphibians and other wildlife in general. (This includes allowing wetlands to follow their own natural cycles of moisture and drying).
• To learn more about the importance of frogs and amphibians, please read my previous post “Why should we care about the global amphibian decline?”

Thanks for reading! Please let me know why amphibians are important to you in the comments.