Assignment 1: Part 1

Over the past 20 years, there has been an insane drop in the bee population of the
world. Bees are incredibly misunderstood, as most people see them as pesky little
bugs that just fly around to sting people. The normal reaction seen when people
encounter a bee is to run, scream, or swat at it. However, what most people dont
realize is that bees are responsible for pollinating over one sixth of the flowering
crops in the world. That equals about $30 billion a year worth of crops. Some of the
food crops bees can be thanked for include broccoli, apples, kiwi, strawberries, and
a variety of nuts and beans. In addition to all of our foods that bees pollinate, they
also are responsible for a large portion of the flowers on the planet. Lastly, bees are
the reason we have honey.
Unfortunately, the population of bees is rapidly falling. At first, scientists were
puzzled as to why. In recent years, they have learned that this population drop is
being caused by pollution and by an overuse of harmful pesticides. As these
pesticides have gained popularity and spread throughout the world, bees are dying.
Another reason for the downfall of the helpful little creatures is human caused
climate change. These are immediate risks to the bees, and will continue to kill
them if humans do not step up and change what they are doing. Although it might
not seem like an important issue, if bees were not here we would be in serious
trouble, losing many of our food supplies.
There are over 25,000 types of bees in the world, and around 4,000 in the
Unites States alone. The most common and well known bees include bumblebees,
carpenter bees, and honey bees. Every single bee, no matter the species, is vital.
Even though bees are not the only pollinators on the planet, they play a huge role.
Bees pollinate by collecting pollen with the stiff hairs and small pockets on their
legs. They then fly around to multiple other plants, often of the same species. They
spread the pollen around which allows the plants to produce fruit and to reproduce
themselves. Many plants rely solely on bees and other pollinators, and cannot
pollinate themselves. That being said, without bees around to pollinate for them, we
would lose roughly one third of our basic food supply.
Recently, some species of bees made the endangered species list.
Environmental groups are working to limit or ban the pesticides killing bees, or to
come up with an alternative. Until that happens, there are things people can do
individually to help make a difference. These things include planting bee friendly
gardens at home, avoiding the use of chemical pesticides, and keeping out fresh
water near the garden. It is also important to buy local, organic produce and honey
that hasnt been touched by pesticides. By buying organic produce, business is
being taken away from the big companies that are using the harmful pesticides
which are killing the bees.
Bee Ecotoxicology and Data Veracity: Appreciating the GLP Process

By G. Christopher Cutler and Cynthia D. Scott-Dupree

This article discusses studies done regarding bees. These studies focus primarily on
pesticides. It also talks about the ways the research is done and how it is regulated.

Volume 66, Issue 12

Bees are often perceived as cute and furry (as far as insects go!); many bee species are
highly evolved, being colonial with caste structures and designated tasks within hives; and
they are hard-working creatures (i.e., busy as a bee) that provide critical pollination
services for many wild plants and crops (Garibaldi et al. 2013).

This quote reveals how bees are viewed as just cute creatures, but in reality, they perform
very important tasks for all life, including humans.

It is important to assess if and how certain pesticides are affecting bees. This is the
overriding goal of pollinator risk assessment, a process that essentially determines what
doses of a pesticide affect bees and juxtaposes this with what concentrations of the
pesticide bees are likely to encounter in the field.

These studies are done to find out how bees are affected by pesticides.

Summary of key ideas: Pesticides affect bees in many ways, including contamination of their
food sources and hives, and direct contact through sprays, seeds, or contaminated surfaces.
Neonicotinoids are a large suspect. A big concern is who is or should be conducting the
studies on bees. The studies mentioned in this article are done by BayerCrop Science under
GLP regulations.

Facts: Bees are often exposed to pesticides. Neonicotinoids are used on many crops. GLP
highly regulated studies.

Claims: Pesticides pose huge risks to bees. Research done by companies profiting from
pesticides are problematic. Neonicotinoids are important in the decline of bees. BayerCrop
Science is trustworthy.

Fastwrite: This article gives some insight on the studies done on the pesticides vs bees
debate. Although most people can agree that pesticides are doing damage, it is still widely
argued. I do have some mixed feelings about this article.

Believing: I do agree that pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids are harmful to bee

population. I also agree that doing studies by the very companies that benefit from the
pesticides make them hard to trust, because they seem as though they would be biased on
the results.

Doubting: I am not so sure how trustworthy the studies done by BayerCrop are, although
there are regulations it is hard to believe someone who could potentially be so biased.

Respond: First I thought that a lot of studies were true, but then they brought up the point
that it depends on who is doing the studies and what their motives are, and I thought they
could be falsified. Now knowing there are regulations in place I am a little unsure of what to
believe.

I support the authors claims about the pesticides and neonicotinoids being harmful and
dangerous to bees. I loosely support the claims that the studies are trustworthy due to all of
the regulations, but I am still slightly doubtful.
I have read countless articles backing up the claims on pesticides but I have not seen many
that outline and detail the research methods.

The endangerment of bees and new developments in beekeeping: a social science

perspective using the example of Germany

By Stephan Lorenz

This article discusses some of the dangers bees are facing, and the increase in research on
these dangers.

CCD refers to the adult bees abandoning the hive, even though the colony may have
seemed healthy and productive. Thus, the storyline is mainly about this abandonment:
human beings have done something wrong, we have lost a sense of nature therefore the
bees are abandoning us; so we are in trouble or even have to die

CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder, is when the working bees abandon their hive for an unknown
reason, leaving the queen and the babies. People use it to relate to humans.

Migratory beekeeping, i.e. changing the sites of the hives over the season, has been
practised for more than two thousand years [45]. Migrating beekeepers can expect a better
forage supply for their bees and larger or different honey harvests.

Changing the locations of bee hives is an old practice that gives bees a wider area to forage
and changes the honey.

...although we keep our bees as we always have done, we witness new losses; and because
the only change we observe is the use of new insecticides, these need to be suspended.

Beekeepers are experiencing losses although they have continued doing everything the
same way, with the exception of insecticides.

Summary: There are many dangers to bees that are not always caused by humans, including
parasites and viruses. Varroa mites are causing demise among bees as well CCD.
Insecticides are also playing a role. Researched has increased as public interest has grown.
Scientists are trying to improve beekeeping methods in Germany.

Facts: Beekeeping in Germany has increased. Bees are dying with the only change being
introduction of insecticide. CCD occurrences are increasing without explanation.

Claims: Varroa mites are one of the most important challenges to beekeeping. Changes in
beekeeping will help to solve problems.

Fastwrite: This article is a bit dense and hard to read but does give some important opinions
and information. I like that it does acknowledge the fact that other things harm bees that
arent just caused by humans, even though we do play such a large role.

Believing: I agree that in regulated beekeeping, the insecticides are causing problems
because studies all over have found this to be true. I also believe that research on Varroa
mites and CDD are extremely important.

Doubting: I dont really have doubts about this article. It is very factual and doesnt leave
very much room open for debates.
Respond: First I thought that insecticides were the primary cause of bee population
decrease, but then I thought that they gave some points about other causes, and now I think
that although humans are playing a huge part, there are other natural causes that are
happening that are being investigated.

I support the authors claims about the insecticides and the importance of the other causes.
Bee populations are decreasing and scientists are researching and studying every cause
they can find to try to solve the problems.

I have seen many articles and books on the causes of bee declination but I like how this one
takes slightly different turns.

Pollination reservoirs for wild bee habitat enhancement in cropping systems: a review

By Eric M. Venturini, Francis A. Drummond, Aaron K. Hoshide, Alison C. Dibble & Lois B.
Stack

This article discusses how pollination reservoirs can be used pertaining to wild bees. It
discusses the positive outcomes as well as the negative.

For example, in 2015 the White House created a Pollinator Health Task Force committed to
. . .restoring or enhancing 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next 5 years. . .

The White House is working to get land to help pollinators in their environments.

Research supports the hypotheses that adding floral resources to the landscape a) attracts
wild bees, b) increases wild bee abundance, diversity, and/or and c) increases pollination
services provisioned by wild bees in adjacent crop fields.

Pollination reservoirs can help attract bees, increase the number and diversity of bees, and
increase pollination.

Summary: Animal pollinators are extremely important, particularly bees. Pollination

reservoirs are being tested to find out how much they can help the declining bee issue. The
goal is to help create a safe environment for bees to pollinate and reproduce to increase
their population.

Facts: Wild bees are dependent upon pollen and nectar. Animal pollinators are responsible
for roughly 1/3 of food production.

Claims: Colony Collapse Disorder is a leading cause in the decrease in honey bee supply.
Pollination reservoirs greatly impact bee populations and crop yields. Growers are more
likely to use PRs if the benefits outweigh the costs.

Fastwrite: I like that this article is exploring a new option to aiding in the recovery of the
declining bee population. Providing a clean safe environment for the bees can certainly help
to save them. This is an ongoing study and I am hoping that more producers see the good
and decide to use it. The only problem is that it can be quite expensive and research isnt
certain yet so I dont think a lot of producers will be using them just yet.
Believing: I do agree with pollination reservoirs because they seem like a really great way to
help. From what I understood in the article they are very progressive and safe.

Doubting: The issue of cost is definitely the cause of any doubt that I have because most
people dont like spending money even if it helps.

Respond: First I thought that we hadnt come up with a solid solution but then I thought that
pollination reservoirs sounded great. Now I think that with some more research and possible
improvements, PRs could be very promising.

I support the authors claims of the dangers to bees and how important they actually are to
us. I also support that the PRs could help with population increase and pollination.

I havent read anything like this article, the concept of pollination reservoirs is new to me.

Buzz Kill: Bumblebee listed as endangered for first time

By Doyle Rice

This article discusses the topic of the rusty patched bumblebee being placed on the
endangered species list. Consequences of this are discussed as well.

It's not just the rusty patched bumblebee that is struggling in the U.S. Other species have
experienced dramatic declines in recent decades.

More bees other than just the one added to the list are in danger.

People can help boost the rusty patched bumblebee population by growing a garden or
adding a native flowering tree or shrub to yards and minimizing pesticide use, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service said. Leaving some areas of the yard unmowed in summer and unraked
in fall can also help since bumblebees need a safe place to build their nests and overwinter.
Additionally, try leaving some standing plant stems in gardens and flower beds in winter.

There are things that regular citizens can do to help the bees including gardening, not using
pesticides, and giving them areas to build nests.

Summary: The rusty patched bumblebee has been placed on the endangered species list.
This is the first continental bee to be on the list. Seven species from Hawaii were placed on it
earlier this year. Bees are essential to the ecosystem and are dying at alarming rates.

Facts: Population of the rusty patched bumblebee has fallen by 87% in the past 30 years.
They are found in less than half of the states that they were originally found in.

Claims: Population decrease is due to loss of habitat, disease, pesticides, climate change,
and a small population size. If bees go extinct, there will be no more food.

Fastwrite: This article makes me very sad because its evidence of the rapidly declining bee
population. It is worded very simple and I hope that it helps ordinary people to understand
the size of this issue. I do really like how they have a list of things that people can do to help
out.
Believing: I believe what the article is saying about the rate of endangerment. I also believe
that all of the stated causes do play a role.

Doubting: I think that stating that without bees we would have no food is a little dramatic.
Although bees do pollinate a large portion of our crops, there are other pollinators out there
and I also believe that without them, humans would find a way to pollinate the crops
themselves. This is being said, that is not the answer and I still feel incredibly strongly on
this topic.

Respond: First I thought that rusty patched bumblebees were the first bees to make the
endangered list, then I learned they are just the first in the continental U.S. Now I think that
although they are the first here, they might not be the last.

I support most of the authors claims, such as how all bees are in critical danger if we do not
do something soon. I also support them informing people on how to help. I do challenge the
fact that we will have no food without bees.

I have read some articles that state this same topic of the endangerment, but I thought that
this was the simplest and most well put.

Positive and Negative Impacts of Non-Native Bee Species around the World

By Laura Russo

This article discusses the good and bad of non-native bees. They can have a wide variety of
impacts on their environment.

The majority (73%) of the bee species with non-native populations were likely accidentally
introduced, while a minority (18%) were deliberately introduced, and a small number (5%)
naturally expanded their ranges.

Most non native bees were introduced on accident, a small number were introduced on
purpose, and just a few naturally introduced themselves.

Non-native species with recognized negative impacts which are difficult to control are often
referred to as invasive and some bee species with non-native populations are referred to
in this way. However, because of the widely recognized beneficial impacts of bees, and the
fact that they are often deliberately introduced, not all non-native bee species are
considered invasive.

Generally, when a species in non native it is associated with negative impacts and is called
invasive, however that is not always the case.

Summary: Not all bees in a particular area have always been there. Some are introduced
accidentally, some on purpose, and some go out and find new homes on their own. There
are both positive (more pollination, rescuing crops whose native pollinators have gone
missing, promoting studies) and negative (increased competition, introduction of foreign
parasites and pathogens) consequences.

Facts: Majority of non native bees were introduced by accident. They burrow themselves in
wood and other materials in traveling products.
Claim: Not much is known about non native species of bees

Fastwrite: This is really interesting and contains a lot of information that I had not previously
considered. A lot of the bees we see are not original natives and they have come from all
over, sometimes on purpose to help control populations or for other reasons.

Believing: I believe what this article is saying because they have done many studies and
have multiple charts that show the information. They have sources from over 400 journals.

Doubting: I do not really doubt any part of this article.

Respond: First I thought all bees were where they were supposed to be, then I thought that
many had traveled. Now I think that our bee populations are a good mix of natives and non
natives.

I support the authors claims because of all the evidence they have. This article is very
factual and straightforward and does not leave much room for interpretation.

I have not read anything similar to this article and I did not know about all of the non natives
bees.

Bee: A natural history

By Noah Wilson-Rich, Kelly Allin, Norman L Carreck, and Andrea Quigley

This book discusses a wide range of topics relating to bees. It explains how they evolved,
what they do, their relationship with human, and what the future holds regarding bees.

Honey and wax preserve food because of their hygroscopic (drying) properties, their
anaerobic nature, and their high sugar content. Ancient societies likely used bee products as
a means to lengthen the shelf life of food. Additionally, human mummification involved
coating a corpse with a mixture of honey, wax, and propolis from beehives.

Bees have been important to humans since the beginning, and in ancient times bee
products were used as important preservatives.

An astonishing range of fruit and vegetable crops are 90 percent or more reliant on insects
for pollination. The yield of these crops would decline to less than 10 percent of its current
level, if bees disappeared.

Nearly all of our fruits and vegetables are pollinated due to bugs, and bees are highly
responsible for that.

Summary: Bees evolved from carnivorous wasps once flowering plants began to pop up, and
they have been useful ever since, to the environment and to other creatures including
humans. Aside from simply pollination, their products are incredibly uses in many aspects of
life. Many religions mention bees in their texts and prayers. The workings in bee hives are
often used as an example in many types of government as well.

Facts: Bees co-evolved and adapted alongside flowers. Bees face a variety of challenges.
Bees pollinate over 130 food crops. Honey bees are not native to America.
Claims: Threats to bees are in turn threats to humans. If bees were to die out, our diets
would turn bland with mostly grain crops. Farm animals would suffer without bees.

Fastwrite: This book gave me so much information about bees that I did not know or did not
realize. In order to write a paper about the current state of bees, it is so important to me to
understand their history and biology which is given in this book. It also gives details about
the current issues in a way that is simple and easy to understand.

Believing: One part of this book gives a prediction of a future without bees and it is
something I really agree with. They do not simply say that we will all die without bees as a
lot of sources predict. It considers the fact that humans are always increasing technology
and we will still survive, but our lives and diets will be drastically changed. I really believe
how the author explains this.

Doubting: There is not too much I doubt about this book. They have a lot of factual
information and I agree with the opinions.

Response: First I thought that bees were important for their products such as honey, then I
thought they were important for pollination, and now I think they are affect our lives in more
ways that we imagine and we really take them for granted.

I support the authors claims because although the claims about the future cannot be proven
until the time actually comes, they are realistic and are not so dramatic, yet they still
acknowledge the fact that these are very real and very important issues that we need to
solve.

There are parts of the book that are similar in ways to other articles that I have read, mostly
those pertaining to the insecticides and other dangers to bees, however this one gives a lot
more information about the bees themselves as creatures.

Latest Buzz About Colony Collape Disorder (with response)

By Anderson, Denis, Iain J. East, Diana Cox-Foster, Sean Conlan, Edward C. Holmes, Gustavo
Palacios, Abby Kalkstein, Jay D. Evans, Nancy A. Moran, Phenix-Lan Quan, David Geiser,
Thomas Briese, Mady Hornig, Jeffrey Hui, Dennis Vanengelsdorp, Jeffery S. Pettis, and W. Ian
Lipkin.

This is a complex article because it includes a response. The basis of this article and
response is colony collapse disorder and what it is about.

IN THEIR LETTER, ANDERSON AND EAST SUGgest that CCD is an ambiguous disorder
consistent with normal winter losses. We do not agree. CCD is characterized by a rapid loss
of adult bees; excess brood, in all stages, abandoned in the hive; low levels of varroa; and a
lack of dead bees in or near the hive.

The article states that it is hard to tell the difference between normal winter deaths of bees
and CCD, which is untrue as they have very different characteristics.

Nonetheless, IAPV lineages have now been found in U.S. bees; one of them correlates
genetically with IAPV found in bees in Australian shipments. The presence of IAPV strains in
older U.S. samples does not eliminate a role for this virus in CCD.
There has been a virus found called IAPV was previously believed to have nothing to do with
CCD, but is now being investigated as research cannot show that it DOESNT affect it.

Summary: Colony Collapse Disorder is an increasing problem for bees yet is also
unexplained. Researchers are working on finding out the cause and are currently researching
to find a link between CCD and IAPV.

Facts: CCD has a list of specific characteristics that make it what it is. IAPV has been found
outside of Australia and the US.

Claims: CCD may have a link to IAPV

Fastwrite: Reading this article I had to research more just about the terms themselves
because they were not explained, as this article is aimed toward those that already have
background knowledge of the subject. I find it very interesting that we have still not been
able to explain CCD.

Believing/Doubting: It is hard for me to find much to believe or doubt in this reading because
it is about the lack of knowledge that we have. It is easy to believe the scientists because
they are doing the research yet it is also easy to doubt because they have not found solid
answers yet and dont have the answers themselves.

Response: First I thought that CCD did not have a cause, then I thought that perhaps it was
related to other diseases and events. Now I am hopeful that scientists will work out the
cause and be able to find answers and possible solutions.

I do not have much support for the authors claims because although I have been doing
research I am not knowledgeable enough on the topic to know if they are on the right track
or not.

This article is not very similar to others I have read because instead of being filled with facts,
it is speculation and is only an update on how scientists are doing in their research.

SLOs:

This assignment uses rhetorical knowledge because we have to asses the articles, find the
facts and claims, and discover the authors tone and stance. It is critical reading because we
have to be able to read and find out if a source is reliable and useful to us, and be able to
analyze the information and understand what it means. It is composing processes because
we have to be able to write down our own thoughts and what we take away from our
sources. It also uses critical reflection to look back on what we said and understand our own
opinions and thoughts.
My research topic is What will the future of America look like if bees go extinct?. I
plan to research about the near and far future of the country. It is a debated topic,
as some scientists believe that we will completely run out of food but other believe
we will not. I hope to be able to make predictions with the knowledge I gather and
form my own opinions. I am extremely interested in this topic because it affects our
generation and the generations after us. Bees are vital to our ecosystem and
without them we are unsure of what the future would be like.

SLOs: This assignment uses rhetorical knowledge because we had to come up with
a topic that will interest our intended audience. We had to place limitations on our
topic to fit a specific purpose. Critical reflection is also used because we need to
think about and reflect on our previous research in order to come up with a suitable
research topic.
Russo, L. (2016). Positive and Negative Impacts of Non-Native Bee Species around
the World. https://muse-jhu-edu.librarylink.uncc.edu/chapter/226041
Cutler, G. C., & Scott-Dupree, C. D. (2016). Bee Ecotoxicology and Data Veracity:
Appreciating the GLP Process. BioScience, 66(12), 10661069.
https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw136
Doyle Rice, @usatodayweather, & Usa Today. (n.d.). Buzz kill: Bumblebee listed as
endangered for first time. USA Today.
Winfree, R. (2010). The conservation and restoration of wild bees. Annals of the New
York Academy of Sciences, 1195(1), 169197. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-
6632.2010.05449.x
Lorenz, S. (2016). The endangerment of bees and new developments in beekeeping:
a social science perspective using the example of Germany. International Journal of
Environmental Studies. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207233.2016.1220703
Wilson-Rich, N., Allin, K., Carreck, N. L., & Quigley, A. (2014). Bee: A natural history.
Princeton, NJ: The Ivy Press.
Anderson, D., East, I., Cox-Foster, D., Conlan, S., Holmes, E., Palacios, G., . . . Lipkin,
W. (2008). The Latest Buzz about Colony Collapse Disorder [with Response].
Science, 319(5864), 724-725. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/20053283
Watanabe, M. E. (2014). Pollinators at Risk. BioScience, 14(1), 5-10.

SLOs: The main SLO used in this exercise is knowledge of conventions because we
have to format our citations to follow certain rules. Even though we should have just
been able to use Zotero to do the citations for us, if the article was on a PDF we had
to create the citation ourselves and follow APA format.