Rogue Honey

Though beekeeping is illegal in New York, intrepid urban apiarists thrive

"I can’t think of anything more relaxing than sitting in front of my beehive, drinking a beer, smoking a cigar, letting the bees fly," said Patrick Gannon in a recent New York Times article about urban beekeeping. "And the smell. It’s the most beautiful smell."

But that beautiful smell -- and the critical crop pollination that accompanies it -- has been fading in the face of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a strange phenomenon that has primarily afflicted North American hives since 2006. CCD causes large numbers of worker bees to suddenly die off. While there are several theories -- viruses, malnutrition, pesticides and "change-related" stress among them -- the actual cause is still unknown.

In the winter of 2008, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study found that 36% of American beehives were lost to CCD. Considering that a full third of our food is pollinated by bees, the scope of this issue is large indeed.

Last month, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) led a group of 20 senators in a letter urging the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee to allocate $20 million to research CCD.

"Beekeepers find themselves on the defensive and say they must educate members of Congress about the importance of their industry," according to a recent Miami Herald article. "They're doing it with the help of lobbyists. Yes, bee lobbyists."

"Ninety percent of the nation's existing hives are predicted to be needed to pollinate California's 2012 almond crop alone," according to Senator Boxer's letter. "In other states, farmers who produce apples, berries, peaches, squash and many other fruits and vegetables depend on healthy pollinators."

Until CCD is fully understood and solved, public beekeeping -- even the sub rosa kind -- is one way to help keep bees alive.

GET INVOLVED

• Support these companies and organizations helping honeybees
• Sign a joint Pesticide Action Network and National Resources Defense Council letter to the EPA urging them to conduct a thorough registration review of the pesticide imidacloprid that properly assesses risks to honey bees and other pollinators
• Join the Global Healing Center's boycott of the world's eight biggest pesticide companies

RELATED POSTS

• No Bees, No Food (March 11, 2009)
• Getting Closer to Understanding Bee Deaths (September 9, 2008)
  
• PA Sued Over Pesticide That May Kill Bees (August 21, 2008)
• Germany Bans Pesticide Blamed for Bee Deaths (June 30, 2008)
• Bee Colony Collapse Affecting US Food Supply (April 26, 2008)
• Banned Pesticides Killing Birds (April 10, 2008)

image: a bee gathering pollen at the botanic park of Bern, Switzerland (credit: Stephane Magnenat)