Colony Collapse Disorder

"The worst thing that will probably happen-in fact is already well underway-is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us for."

“As extinction spreads, some of the lost forms prove to be keystone species, whose disappearance brings down other species and triggers a ripple effect through the demographics of the survivors. The loss of a keystone species is like a drill accidentally striking a power line. It causes lights to go out all over.”

– Edward O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life

Right now, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is ongoing and has been for years. CCD is absolutely decimating the Bee populations across the globe but especially in the United States. Although much research is being conducted, the exact cause of CCD is still unknown. Many possible contributing factors include.

• Climate change and climate engineering Anthropogenic activity is having a huge impact on the natural world and certainly attributing to species die off and Colony Collapse Disorder. The lack of rain in certain regions of the country is also making it very hard for bees to find flowers to pollinate which is leading to malnutrition. Also the constant spraying of aluminum aerosols into our skies is another major contributing factor.

• Use of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides have a serious effect on a bees navigation systems as well as their immune system. This is especially the case with migratory bees that have been exposed to a large variety of different chemical agents. For example, some beekeepers take their colonies to pollinate different farms frequently and some of these farms spray their fields heavily. The farms that have applications directly on the soil are the most worrying though, as they are later taken up by the plants' tissues including into the pollen and nectar. This same toxic substance is later consumed by the bee, made into honey and is used by the colony and people as a source of food. Thankfully some progress has been made in europe with the ban of three neonicotinoids—clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam.

• Varroa Destructor Mites, an insect that was most likely smuggled into the country with foreign bees.

• Genetically Modified Crops which may weaken adult bee’s immune defenses and cause an infinite number of other issues since the plants are not really natural. 
• Lack of biodiversity in plants and in actual queens, this is due to beekeepers obtaining their queens from breeders as well as the massive fields of monocultures that are planted all across the world now.

•  Pollution and ozone which reduce flowers’ aroma.

• Immunodeficiencies typically caused by mites, bacterial, fungal, or viral pathogens. This can also be possibly caused by GM crops and as stated before monocultures. The reason monocultures are so bad is because of the fact that just like humans bees need a variety of food sources to get the nutrients to stay healthy.