Monday, September 1, 2008

The Buzz about Bees and CCD


There is a claim that Albert Einstein said something along the lines of, "If there were no more bees, man would perish in about four years." Snopes.com isn't sure if he really said that or if someone just made it up and attributed it to the physicist but it is a disconcerting thought when you realize how busy those little bees are in the pollination of our food crops.

Haagen-dazs supported the creation of an educational video about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) to better explain the impacts and potential impacts of this important issue. While there is not an identified reason or cause of CCD yet, there is speculation that bacteria, some undiscovered pest or just the stress of commercial bee keeping may contribute.

South Dakota is one of the top producers of honey in the USA.

What is interesting is that I had fewer tomatoes this year (by a lot). Of course, we missed out on some hot weather to get things jumping but I wonder is CCD played a role as well? Since I do not spray in the garden, I have seen bees buzzing around so I am not sure.

It's an important issue to understand and follow. More companies should support these types of projects for the good of all. Hats off to Haagen dazs!