http://e-info.org.tw/node/45771 科学家揭开蜂群消失之谜 农林渔牧业 | 物种保育 | 国际新闻 摘译自2009年7月29日ENS美国，华盛顿州，普尔曼报导；张桂芳编译；蔡丽伶审校 农药有可能在蜂巢累积好几年(摄影:Hi Paul)美国华盛顿大学研究解开了蜂群消失之谜： 「蜂群衰竭失调」的两大元凶除了农药，还有一种是依附寄生在老蜂巢中、微小到用显微 镜才看得见的病原体。这些因素在过去三年中造成美国和欧洲大量蜂巢蜂去巢空的现象。 这项由昆虫学教授谢波德（Steve Sheppard）与其团队所进行的研究计划，部分经费由各 地区的养蜂人和华盛顿州立大学农业研究中心共同赞助。他们的研究结果缩小了引发蜂群 衰竭失调原因的范畴。 谢波德表示：「我们第一个研究的就是老蜂巢蜂蜡的农药含量。」从美国农业部提供的蜂 巢中，他发现「相当高浓度的农药残留物。」并且住在蜂巢内蜜蜂的「寿命锐减。」 解决这个问题简易的办法就是更加频繁地更换蜂巢，例如在欧洲，养蜂人每3年即将蜂巢 汰旧换新一次。 与其他过去困扰蜜蜂的病虫害不同的是，蜂群衰竭失调并不会让蜜蜂死於蜂巢内，而是让 蜂巢内留下了几只刚羽化的成蜂、一只女王蜂和足够的食物。 谢波德的另一项工作，目前由一位研究生斯马特（Matthew Smart）在进行，其研究重点 为找出破坏蜜蜂食物消化能力，称为「东方蜂微粒子虫」（Nosema ceranae）的微孢子虫 病病原体对蜂群的影响。 养蜂人也视其为蜂群衰竭失调幕後的「确凿证据」。 谢波德说：「东方蜂微粒子虫在美国是最近才有人提起，第一次是在2007年。但它却已经 悄悄在全国各地蔓延开来。」 来自华盛顿州亚基马市（Yakima）的养蜂人奥尔森（Eric Olson）表示，他对蜂巢注射了 超高剂量的抗生素烟曲霉素（fumagillin）。「照理这样应该完全歼灭了微粒子虫，或者 至少减低其数量， 但结果却不降反升。」 宝贝蜂蜜（Babe's Honey）董事长、也是加拿大温哥华岛上桑尼治（Saanich）最大的养 蜂人皮雀尔（Mark Pitcher）表示：「基本上该病原体就像是让蜜蜂得了免疫功能失调症 ，简直形同感染另一种版本的艾滋病毒一般。」 皮雀尔向「桑尼治报」表示，一旦蜜蜂的免疫系统受到损害，就很容易死於种种意想不到 的原因，包括原本用来预防蜂蟹蟎等寄生虫的化学品。 http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2009/2009-07-29-094.asp Scientists Untangle Multiple Causes of Bee Colony Disorder PULLMAN, Washington, July 29, 2009 (ENS) A microscopic pathogen and pesticides embedded in old honeycombs are two major contributors to the bee disease known as colony collapse disorder, which has wiped out thousands of beehives throughout the United States and Europe over the past three years, new research at Washington State University has confirmed. Working on the project funded in part by regional beekeepers and WSU's Agricultural Research Center, entomology professor Steve Sheppard and his team have narrowed the list of potential causes for colony collapse disorder. "One of the first things we looked at was the pesticide levels in the wax of older honeycombs," Sheppard said. Using combs contributed by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Sheppard found "fairly high levels of pesticide residue." Bees raised in those hives "had significantly reduced longevity," he said. One easy solution is for beekeepers to change honeycombs more often. In Europe, for example, apiarists change combs every three years. Unlike other diseases that have plagued bees in the past, colony collapse disorder does not kill bees within the hive. It leaves a hive with a few newly hatched adults, a queen and plenty of food. Another aspect of Sheppard's work, which is being conducted by graduate student Matthew Smart, focuses on the impact of a microsporidian pathogen known as Nosema ceranae, which attacks bees' ability to process food. Beekeepers have considered it to be "the smoking gun" behind colony collapse disorder. "Nosema ceranae was only recently described in the U.S., the first time in 2007," Sheppard said. "But while no one really noticed, it has spread throughout the country." Beekeeper Eric Olson of Yakima, Washington said he treated a hive with a mega-dose of the antibiotic fumagillin. "That should have cause the Nosema to either disappear or at least go down," he said, "but the levels went up." "What it basically does is it causes bees to get immune-deficiency disorder. So it's actually causing the bees to almost get a version of HIV," said Mark Pitcher, president of Babe's Honey and the biggest beekeeper in Saanich on Canada's Vancouver Island. Pitcher told the "Saanich News" that once the bees' immune systems are compromised, they become susceptible to dying from a wide range of causes, including chemicals once used to protect the bees from parasites such as varroa mites. --

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