Disease
Just like human beings, bees can get sick. Diseases and parasites can be so dangerous to bees. Bees can become too weak to fly or be unable to reproduce. In some cases, becoming infected can even lead to death.
Parasitic tracheal mites are so harmful for bees. These mites are so small that they can invade a bee’s respiratory system. As the mites grow, they cut off the bee’s air supply and make it impossible for them to breathe.
The Varroa destructor is another mite that is dangerous to bees. They live on the skin of a honey bee’s body, feeding on the bee’s hemolymph. These mites could lead to Colony Collapse Disorder, which makes bees sick, disoriented and unable to find their way back home.
Some research show that some honeybee diseases can spread to wild bumblebees. It is yet unknown if they spread to solitary bees. directing honeybee health is one way beekeepers can protect wild bees as well as their hives.
Are bee diseases linked to pesticides?
The negative impacts of pesticides, on bees and other pollinators have never been disputed. Insecticides can directly kill these vital insects.
Pesticides has been produced to kill unwanted pests, but their toxic attributes and widespread use are also hurting beneficial insects such as bees.
Being a farmer isn’t easy, especially when they are trying to grow crops; it keeps getting eaten by pests. That’s why some farmers use chemicals like pesticides to protect their crops. However, sometimes, these chemicals can cause some serious health problems to insects like bees, including nervous system failure, muscle spasms or even death. Pesticides often kill directly, but sub-lethal amounts can also be harmful to bees and other pollinators by holding their ability to navigate.
In addition to pesticides, the use of herbicides in parks, streets and on roadside verges reduces the availability of forage plants that bees and other pollinating insects seek out for food at different times of the year. New research shows an increase in pesticides being found beyond the farms where the seeds are sown.
Who are responsible?
Who are responsible for this problem and remain a danger to honeybees?
According to new research, the world’s most used weedkiller damages the beneficial bacteria in the guts of honeybees and makes them more susceptive to deadly infections.
While debates still continue over the responsible for so-called colony collapse disorder — or even whether bee populations are declining at all — recent research claims that glyphosate, the active ingredient in weed killers such as Monsanto’s Roundup, could be having acute effects on bee health.
