Passage #286: 11 February 2015
Waggle Danceathon
There are many theories to explain the decline of bee populations over the past decade. Pesticides, for one, are a prime suspect. The nasty little Varroa mite is another possible culprit. It could be a virus or a fungus or some combination thereof. Selective breeding, which has led to lower genetic diversity, is a likely contributor. It has even been suggested that electromagnetic radiation may be at fault.
We here at The Passage would like to propose another theory: bee colonies aren’t collapsing because the bees are dying off; the bees are just all out exploring. Because, sure, bees are known for their eponymous “line,” heading back to their hives along a predictably straight path. But that’s all a bit bit boring, isn’t it? The bees have probably just given up on that whole hive mentality, taking their previously communicative waggle dance and expanding it out into a sort of flying walkabout, if you will. A wiggle, some loops: see the world.
Why shouldn’t bees have a little adventure too, huh?
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