Colony Collapse Disorder - Case Study Example

Some of the European countries have observed this phenomenon in alarming numbers whereas some have observed this phenomenon in fewer quantities. Colony collapse disorder is a serious economic concern to the countries particularly to the agricultural countries because bees play a major role in the pollination of pollen grains of the various plants and crops. Bees play a major role in the reproduction of many plants and crops in the forests and due to colony collapse disorder this phenomenon of reproduction has been badly affected.

Researchers and scientists are really worried over this rapidly increasing phenomenon of vanishing bees and many researches have been conducted in order to find the real cause behind this phenomenon, but the research teams have not been able to find any major reason for this. Many possibilities have been presented and tested for verification but only a few of the theories related to the cause of CDD have been verified. Though persistent researches many reasons have been discovered which are leading to the colony collapse disorder. . The various reasons that have been found out as the cause of colony collapse disorder are malnutrition, pathogens like Varroa, Nosema, viral and fungal infections combined, pesticides, insecticides, antibiotics, miticides, neonicotinoids, genetically varied crops, variations in migration of the bees, electromagnetic radiations from the cell phones, parasites, pests,, harmful chemicals, destructions of habitats, lack of genetic biodiversity, toxins and poisonous gases in the air, the way the bees are kept, pathogens, extreme climatic conditions, mites, diseases related to honey bees, etc.

(Ellis, University of Florida & Florida Cooperative Extension Service, 2007). It is of great concern for the scientists that the insecticides and pesticides used for the protection of the plants and crops from parasites and pests are having a very bad and adverse effect on the environment and the useful insects and living organisms. It has been observed that although these insecticides and pesticides do not kill the organism rather these chemicals impair the abilities and senses of the organisms and eventually the organism will behave absurdly and this will affect the entire eco system.

One such pesticide is the neonicotinoids, which belongs to the class of neuro-active insecticides. These insecticides contain the chemical imidacloprid and other such chemicals. These chemical affect the nervous system of the insects, it is found out that these chemicals affect the brain and neurons of the honey bee and disables the sense of directions in the honey bee as a result of which they are unable to reach back to their homes. A research was carried out by scientists in which around twenty hives were considered and each hive was given high fructose corn syrup in different quantities in order to