What is the latest research on why bee colonies are collapsing?
Bees pollinate 75% of our crops, and scientists are finally untangling why they keep disappearing.
The answer
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), first named in 2006 when US beekeepers reported 30-90% hive losses, has been linked to multiple interacting factors. Neonicotinoid pesticides impair bee navigation and immunity at sub-lethal doses, confirmed by a landmark 2017 study in Science covering 33 sites across Europe. Varroa destructor mites, which feed on bee fat bodies and transmit deformed wing virus, remain the primary biological threat. A 2024 study in Nature Ecology and Evolution found that chronic exposure to fungicides - previously considered bee-safe - disrupts gut microbiomes critical for digestion and disease resistance. Climate change is also causing phenological mismatches between flowering times and bee emergence, reducing food availability.
Source: Nature Ecology & Evolution
- bees
- colony collapse
- pollinators
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