Question

• Discuss the relationship of bees to other organisms in their community, including plants, mites, and people.

• Describe the reasons for colony collapse disorder and strategies we can take to alleviate the issue.

Answer 1

Answer - Honey bees have a mutual relationship with insect-pollinated flowers, because both species get benefits from each other. Honey bees gain nectar and pollen, where as the plants that is flowers get source for pollination. Honey bees also have a mutual and compensation relationship with humans because humans take some of the honey from the bees, but also protect the bees and feed the bees during the winter and early spring.
Honey bees also become food for a number of other organisms including birds, bats, wasps, toads, and even skunks. Skunks wait by the entrance of the hive and eat the guard bees one by one. Birds also eat many foraging honey bees.
Honey bees also serve as a host to different types of mites. Varroa mites attach to the honey bee and suck out the bee’s hemolymph, causing weakness in bees and eventually leading to death of them. Another honey bee mite is the Tracheal mite, which gets inside the honey bee’s trachea, laying eggs and reproducing and finally cuts off the flow of oxygen to the air sacs.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is the situation that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and they leave behind a queen, food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen.

Regular Survey/Data Collection is done to determine the extent of CCD and the current status of honey bee colony production and health.

To make analysis of Bee Samples to determine the prevalence of various pests and pathogens, bee immunity and stress, and exposure to pesticides.

Preventive Measures to improve bee health and habitat and to counter mortality factors.