Some Bees Experience Deadly Jet Lag | Tucson Bee Removal Experts

New research conducted at North Carolina State University has shown that bees can suffer severe health consequences as a result of long distance and extensive travel. Bees that travel long distances onboard trucks or other vehicles suffer greater oxidative stress than other bees that remain within their natural habitat.

Large amounts of bees are often relocated to areas where certain crops stand in need of pollination. The extensive and long distance travel can shorten the lives of the traveling bees due to the oxidative stress that they suffer. This stress can also lead to a weakened immune response making it more difficult for the traveling bees to fight off disease and parasites.

Since commercial agriculture means that various crops, such as almonds, apples and berries, are spread all over the United States and into many differing environments, bees are not always available in the natural habitat to pollinate crops. Therefore relocating massive amounts of bees across long distances is necessary to continue production. Unfortunately, this means that many traveling bees will develop health problems that result in less pollination.

Could this problem be solved by genetically modifying bees to allow them to withstand the stress of long distance travel?