A Master Gardener's Journal

Penn State University’s County Extension has given its Master Gardeners a mission for 2009—to teach pollinator friendly gardening practices to home gardeners. It’s a big job, but somebody’s gotta do it.

We were asked to accomplish this task for a very good reason--our pollinators are in deep trouble. Their numbers are dwindling fast enough to cause alarm. I’m talking all of them, not just honey bees.

Did you know that birds, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps and bats are pollinators too? We need them all—they perform the invaluable service of pollinating veggies, flowers, fruits and nut trees.

While Master Gardeners are busy teaching home gardeners how to protect pollinators, Penn State is pulling out all the stops on researching the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD is a mysterious disease that’s causing the loss of large numbers of honey bees.

CCD even has Haagen-Dazs concerned. The ice cream company has donated $150,000 to aid PSU’s CCD research. “The plight of the honeybee could mean many of the ingredients used in our top flavors, like Vanilla Swiss Almond and Strawberry, would be difficult to source," said Haagen-Dazs brand manager Josh Gellert.

CCD is a mysterious disease. Adult bees leave the hive in the morning and never return. No dead bodies are ever found—they just vanish into thin air. A number of reasons have been postulated for CCD, but research thus far has not given a definitive answer.

One of the latest theories is that chronic exposure to multiple pesticides has weakened the bees’ immune system, leaving them vulnerable to many diseases. Another theory is that pesticides have damaged their nervous systems, causing the bees to forget where they live.

Maryann Frazier, senior extension associate in entomology at Penn State, says "Some of these (chemical) compounds could react with each other to cause toxic effects or could combine with viruses or poor nutrition to weaken immunity and cause colony collapse. We also need to do more research to understand these chemicals' sub-lethal effects on bees."

Any way you look at it, our pollinators need our help! Next week, I’ll write about what you can do to protect pollinators in your garden. In the meantime, check out an excellent book on the subject --Fruitless Fall by Rowan Jacobsen. The book is fascinating reading and will give you a new perspective on the life of the bee.

Do you have a gardening question? In Delaware County, call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

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