Colony Collapse Disorders in the Honeybee Colonies Case Study

Colony Collapse Disorders in the Honeybee Colonies - Case Study Example Colony collapse disorders (CCD) is rather a new term in the field of environmental studies. Many environmentalists resolved to employ the phenomena of CCD in order to provide an explicit understanding to the continued deterioration in the number of honeybees in the bee colonies. The fall in the number of honeybees has led to low production of honey in the field of apiculture. Reduction in the population of bees has also posed a major setback to the field of crop production and agriculture in general. This is due to the fact that many plant varieties especially those that yield fruits majorly rely on the activities of the honeybees in achieving pollination. With much concern on this despair, scientists have embarked on research activities to configure the mess beyond CCD in the honeybee colonies. One of the most noted causes of CCD in the honeybee colonies is excessive use of pesticides in agriculture. The use of pesticides such antibiotics, miticides and neonicotinoid have direct or indirect impacts on the population of the honeybees in the bee colonies. Excessive use of pesticides such as the antibiotics, miticides and neonicotinoid pesticides is one of the factors that have led to the colony collapse disorders in the bee colonies. Antibiotics also known as antibacterial are drugs that used to kill bacteria that attack bodies of animals and human beings. Antibiotics also kill fungi and parasites that attack the bodies of animals and human. Miticides are a class of pesticides that used to kill mite. ... According to Johnson (2011), the increased level of use of antibiotics among beekeepers in controlling parasites and fungi that attack their bee colonies has led to tremendous effects of CCD in the honeybee colonies. Johnson (2011) in reference to the research findings of the USDA confirms that a single celled parasite called Nosem ceranae developed resistance to the antibiotics hence dire effects of the parasite on the bees continue to exist. The existence of these parasites in the honeybee colonies have resulted to unbearable stress on the bees in the affected colonies. The increased stress in the honeybees leads to reduction of immune system in the bees, leading to death of the affected bees (Johnson, 2011). According to Johnson (2011) in reference to the report of USDA, stress development in the honeybees disrupts the social system of the affected bees in their specific colonies. Johnson (2011) notes that chemical contents such as the imidacloprid found in the neonicotinoid pesti cides have substantial impacts on the colony collapse disorders in the honeybee colonies. Referring to the report s of USDA, Johnson (2011) connotes that the use of neonicotinoid as insecticide in plants leaves toxic residues on the plants, which in turn poisons young bees whenever they suck nectar and pollen grains from the infected plants. Even though the neonicotinoid has no direct impact on the health of honeybees, it adversely affects the bees upon excess consumption. The cumulative effects of excess the neonicotinoid chemicals leads to impairment in the navigational power and foraging ability of the honeybees (Johnson, 2011). In addition, Johnson (2011) reports that cumulated