Savethebees

Colony Collapse Disorder is a serious problem killing our bees. If it is not stopped, our bees will die off in the year 2035. If this happens, all our fruits, vegetables, and many more things will not exist anymore. Also, it has been said that when the bees die, man has only four years to live.

First, let me explain the symptoms of CCD. The worker bees do not return to the hive and there isn%u2019t any evidence of dead bodies around the hive. This could be pesticides, if the bees land on flowers sprayed with pesticides, the bees may not make it back to the hive. There are also rapid loses in large numbers, not just a few bees die off. This could be pesticides, viruses, mites, and many other things. Also, in the hives, there is still honey, but it is not robbed by other bees and insects. This must mean something is wrong with the honey. The bees and other insects must sense it. These are some of the symptoms of CCD.

Next, let me explain the causes of CCD. One of the causes is the Israel Acute Paralysis virus (IAVP). IAVP originated in Israel, which was caught by the bees in Australia. The Australian commercial beekeepers came here to the United States, which is how we our bees got infected with it. IAVP causes a fungus, similar to aids, to grow into the bee%u2019s body. It will then eat away at the bee until there is nothing left. There are also mites, like the Varroa mite. Normal bee hives have a few mites, but there has been an increase of mites found in the bee hive. The Varroa mite also eats away at the bees. Malnutrition also can cause CCD. Malnutrition is when there isn%u2019t enough pollen left for the bees to eat and make honey. So, the bees are technically starving to death. Finally, there are pesticides. Many people put insecticides on there plants, flowers, gardens, but they don%u2019t realize that bees are also an insect. If they think all they are killing are ants or aphids, they are also killing the bees. Lots of pesticides that say help plants and flowers also say in the fine print that it is poisonous to bees. Finally, some pesticides have nicatoids. Nicotoids is nicotine, and the nicotine in smoke kills bees, so the nicotoids in pesticides will kill them also. These are some of the causes of CCD.

Finally, here are some things we can do to help stop CCD. We can plant more flowers around be hives and bee boxes. We must remove Ice Plant along highways, which takes over all flowers and keeps spreading, and then we can plant native flowers for the bees. We need to make our land a garden, not a barren desert, or else the bees will die. We also need to stop spraying as much pesticides. Plus, banning Nicotoids from pesticides would really help the bees and the environment. And, people need to be educated to except fruits and vegetables with a little bruise or blemish. We can also build bee boxes by drilling holes on the top of a sex to ten inch four by four block of wood. Put paper straws in each hole. Hang the bee boxes in a tree around were bees usually are. These are some ways to help save the bees.

Without the bees, we will have no fruits or vegetables. Also, the bees make alfalfa, which cows eat. Without the bees there wouldn%u2019t be any alfalfa, and possibly there wouldn%u2019t be many cows for beef and milk. Same thing with other animals, the bees pollinate there foods. CCD is a very serious disease that will kill our bees, and it needs to be stopped soon.

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