Honeybees, heroes in the national food supply, are under threat from parasites, exhaustion and a mysterious ailment. Here’s how beekeepers and scientists are fighting back to save the hives.
View the lesson plan for this storyBeekeepers and Scientists Join Forces to Protect the Pollinators
Honeybees support the production of the fruits, vegetables and nuts in the world’s food supply through their work as pollinators. Their numbers in the United States have been under threat in recent years from three formidable adversaries: parasitic mites, exhaustion from overwork and the mysterious appearance of a newly identified ailment known as colony collapse disorder.
In interviews with beekeepers and scientists, Retro Report examines the devastating impact of the Varroa mite, the strain placed on bees by commercial pollination demands and a perplexing disorder that has wiped out entire colonies.
Today, beekeepers and scientists are teaming up to save the hives and keep the bee population steady. As these experts unravel what is being done to protect hives and restore colonies, we explore new methods of disease prevention and surprising scientific advances like robo-bee pollinators and tiny radio tags that can track bee movements.
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