A Bee Mystery
Recent surveys around the world have found some very sad and troubling news. Bees are not doing well. According to Time: Science & Space, "an estimated ten million beehives ... have been lost since 2006." What's worse, scientists are not sure why. Most beekeepers will tell you that bees tend to die in large numbers every spring. This is normal and necessary to keep a hive of bees healthy. But when the deaths add up to more than half the bees in an entire country, that is something altogether different and dire. Scientists have called this "colony-collapse disorder" or CCD. This name describes the effect, though, and not the cause of the die-out. Scientists simply do not know what is killing the bees.
Many things make it hard for bees. Varroa mites move into a colony and weaken it. Further, these mites carry viruses that attack those that survive. In addition, a new bacterium was recently discovered that attacks bees intestinally and kills them. Beekeepers go to great lengths to protect bees from these invaders, and for many years have been able to control them. All these attackers and the methods used to combat them do stress the bees, however.
Many feel the problem is not some new threat, but a decline in the habitat available to bees. Development of grasslands once home to wild flowers and food for bees has been universal. Pavement makes it easy to drive, but it replaces wild grasses and other food sources for bees. Perhaps, long before the mites and parasites moved in, humans took away enough of the bees' habitat to weaken their health. We plowed under a varied habitat and planted-in many cases-a single plant like beets. Then we sprayed all kinds of chemicals on the beets to keep other bugs away and in doing so also harmed bees. Now, to treat all the mites and other invaders, bee keepers use additional chemicals to kill the invaders. These chemicals also shorten the life of the bees. Have the use of chemicals, loss of habitat, and invading parasites made life impossible for bees? Experts continue to argue various theories, but few have any answers.
Colony collapse disorder is perhaps one of the most mysterious problems modern science has tried to solve. Whether the problem is environmental or an unknown disease, we will all feel the effects if bees continue to decline. Bees affect almost every aspect of the human food chain. From the fruits, vegetables, and grains we eat, to the grasses and grains we feed our livestock, we depend on bees to keep us healthy. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, bees account for 15 billion dollars in crops. Honey is a treasure for sure, but the real gold is in the strawberries, apples, peaches, and green beans we eat and need to stay healthy ourselves. All told, the outlook for bees is not good. The outlook for humans may not "bee" so good either.
Which line from the text gives an example of problems bees face? (5 points)
a
This is normal and necessary to keep a hive of bees healthy.
b
Scientists have called this "colony-collapse disorder" or CCD.
c
This name describes the effect, though, and not the cause of the die-out.
d
All these attackers and the methods used to combat them do stress the bees.
Solved
Show answers
More tips
- S Style and Beauty How to braid friendship bracelets?...
- F Food and Cooking Delight for Gourmets: How to Prepare Liver Pate...
- C Computers and Internet How to Learn to Type Fast?...
- H Health and Medicine Angina: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment...
- D Dating, Love, Relationships How to Overcome Jealousy: Tips and Tricks...
- H Health and Medicine 10 Ways to Cleanse Your Colon and Improve Your Health...
- W Work and Career How to Start Your Own Business: Tips and Recommendations...
- F Food and Cooking How to Make Delicious Cabbage Pies: The Best Recipes!...
- F Food and Cooking Discover Delicious Recipes You Can Make with Ground Meat...
- S Sport How to Do Push-ups Correctly?...
Answers on questions: History
- H History Help, please! In Georgia, if a juvenile is convicted of an act that is ruled a felony offense, he or she can be A) confined in a Youth Development Campus for no more...
- H History How do you think this map influence native born americans who saw it in the 1860s...
- H History What is the meaning of prejudice?...
- H History Why was the lewis and clarke expedition launched...
- H History 12. Which of the following pairs of countries were allied during World War I? O A. Britain and the Ottoman Empire O B. Austria-Hungary and Germany C. France and Germany...
- H History Hello everyone! How are yall! and Heres something yall might not know. Did you know In the U.S., it is the single largest consumer of energy. Only 28 percent of Americans...
- H History Which of the following describes a major economic change that took place during the Nixon administration? A. The United States stopped exchanging U.S. dollars for gold....
- H History Who was abū bakr? and what lands did abū bakr’s forces conquer?...
- H History Muslim scholars advanced world civilization how?...
- H History Which of the following is an incorrect pairing of a pre-world war 1 nation and its post-war name...
Ответ: