Bee Decline

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Story Published: Aug 19, 2008 at 8:27 PM PST

By Audrey Asistio

YAKIMA -- Scientists say hives across the nation are disappearing. If there aren't enough bees to pollinate, crops get affected. Beekeepers say this is a big problem in the valley right now.

Rod Jackman's managed his bee farm for twenty-years now. But he says he's barely making it by because most of his bees are dying. Rod's lost 45% of these colonies last year alone, and keeping up with the rest is getting too expensive.

Rod Jackman tells Action News, "Every year replacing a colony, you have to buy a new queen, and it's a lot of work splitting the colonies in half. New Queens are $20 a piece."

He's pointing the finger at pesticides. Rod believes the chemicals from local orchards reach his bees and are killing them one by one.
But he thinks the bigger problem is what this could do to crops in the long run.

A national report shows bees pollinate about 1/3 of what we eat.
So if there are not enough bees to pollinate, there won't be enough food.
This is a supply and demand problem that could raise prices.
Cabbage, apples and cherries are only a few of the crops that rely on bee pollination.
Reports show that Yakima County's had the largest bee decline in our state since the 1990's.

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