For those in agriculture, harvest season is a busy time.  Farmers nurture their fields all year, which leads to feeding our families and much of the world.  Most growers involved in horticulture production know that their long hours are matched by the non-stop effort for bees, which remain a critical component of our nation's food supply.  The harvest of fruits, nuts, vegetables, ornamentals and greenhouse crops are dependent upon the bee colonies in the United States.

 

Bee contribute an estimated $16 billion annually in added value to more than 30 percent of the crops we produce, and reports of colony losses in the United States are of great concern to anyone who cares about agriculture and food security.  The health of our bee colonies is affected by a number of pests and diseases including mities, various viruses, bacterial infections and fungal diseases.  This spring, the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture held a public hearing to review current research and application of management to control pests and diseases of these important pollinators.

 

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