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COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER AND GM Crops COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER CROPS AND The Bt Cry toxins in genetically modified crops are thought to be responsible, at least in part, for impairing the immune response, memory and navigation ability of worker bees and causing them to disappear from their beehives. Mystery of the Disappearing Bees ver recent years, a problem has developed with honey bees which is causing increasing loss of bees across the United States and in some other countries. Many scientists have studied the problem, but according to Cox-Foster et al. (2009) "no single culprit has been identified" as the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).' This article will suggest that a cause for CCD can easily be identified, but that there may not be the political will to admit openly that a cause for CCD has been found. Simply put, bees have an immune response to the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) oxin in genetically modified (GM) crops, and this immune response impairs he bees’ memory and thus the worker bee is simply unable to find its way back to the beehive. Hence the bees disappear. In order to make sure that one has the true cause of CCD, it is crucial to define accurately what CCD refers to. CCD does not refer to something that is killing large numbers of bees, so that one finds many thousands of dead bees, either in the hive or immediately outside the hive. That is not CCD. nstead, as Wikipedia states, in CCD the "worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear".’ This disappearance of the worker bees, rather than the observation of a large number of dead bees, is what largely distinguishes CCD from the many well-known pests and diseases of bees. For example, Varroa mite infestation can kill bees so quickly that "thousands of dead bees will pile in front of the hive"’ Thus, although Varroa mite infestation is a very serious disease of honeybees, its symptoms clearly do not match the specific symptoms observed in CCD: the abrupt disappearance of the worker bees. n the case of the viruses and pathogens that have been suggested as causes of CCD, these usually result in large numbers of dead bees either inside or outside of the beehive. Dead bees are found outside the hive because worker bees carry the dead bees outside. Over the years, many different things have been suggested as the cause of CCD. Bees are susceptible not only to many different pests and diseases but also to a wide variety of chemical sprays used in agriculture. Virtually anyone can name something that can kill large numbers of bees. Here we are interested in what makes the bees disappear, not in what kills them. The story becomes more intriguing, as colony collapse disorder was originally called Autumn Collapse or Fall Dwindle Disease.‘ Autumn collapse and fall dwindle refer to the fact that the disappearance of the worker bees was clearly observed to occur in the autumn/fall season and was not something that happened at any random time during the year. This specific timing of CCD gives us a second specific criterion which can be used to distinguish CCD from the many other events which harm bees. When we find a cause for CCD, it should be able to explain why the disease has a history of occurring at a specific time of the year: autumn. Email: beeccd@yahoo.com NEXUS ¢ 25 by Peter Olson © 2010 DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 20II www.nexusmagazine.com