Colony collapse disorder, abbreviated CCD, is a syndrome threatening the health of honey bees and commercial beekeeping and pollination operations in the United States. A syndrome is a pattern of signs and symptoms. The name refers to the rapid loss of the adult bee population in the affected hives. However, not all colony deaths are cases of CCD. For a colony to be diagnosed with CCD, the hive needs to present several symptoms. There must be an absence of dead bees in and around the hives. Also, the hive must have very few or no adult honey bees in it despite the presence of a queen, immature bees, and honey. Finally, robbing of the honey by other bees or insects must be absent or delayed.
Scientists have not yet identified the cause or causes of CCD. Researchers think that contributing factors may include pathogens (disease-causing agents), parasites, and environmental factors, including pesticide use.
Scientists documented the first formal cases of CCD in the fall of 2006 in the United States. Some U.S. beekeepers reported a loss on average of 45 percent of their colonies that winter. Since that time, rates of colony disappearance remain high, but CCD no longer appears to represent a large fraction of colony losses.
People can help prevent bee colony losses in several ways. First, people can plant special “pollinator gardens” to provide pollen and nectar to bees over the longest growing season possible. Second, people can reduce their use of pesticides on gardens and lawns. Beekeepers can further improve survival rates by aggressively monitoring and treating parasites and disease in their colonies.
