An inference that can be made regarding future efforts to save the bees is that simply planting more bee-friendly flowers may not be sufficient and could potentially exacerbate the spread of diseases among both commercial and wild bees. The excerpt states, “in some cases you might actually be increasing disease levels when you plant those flowers,” suggesting that more strategic approaches are needed. Furthermore, Sheila Colla’s emphasis on the need for a buffer area without flowers indicates that careful management of flowering plants must be reconsidered to protect bee populations. Finally, the mention of increasing plant diversity as a potential way to decrease disease transmission reinforces the idea that future efforts should focus on comprehensive strategies rather than just increasing flower availability.
"Are Commercial Honeybees Making Wild Bees Sick?"
by Berly McCoy
If human-managed bees and bee-friendly flowers are acting as hotspots for pathogens, keeping more bees and planting more flowers may be contributing to the steep losses in commercial pollinators seen in the U.S. each year, as well as fueling the decline of wild bees. The more that bees are transported and concentrated for larger-scale pollination events, the more opportunities for diseases to spread.
And it’s not just a one-way street.
“It’s likely the transmission is going both ways,” said Scott McArt, a pollinator ecologist at Cornell University who was not involved in the study. Even if diseases in commercial bees are eliminated, new infections from the wild bee population, which are known to harbor pathogens, could spill back into managed populations, making disease eradication even tougher than it is now.
From the urban gardener to the rural farmer, people are encouraged to grow “bee-friendly” plants.
“But in some cases you might actually be increasing disease levels when you plant those flowers,” said Sheila Colla, a conservation biologist at York University who was not involved in the study. “Maybe we need to have a [buffer] area without flowers to stop diseases from spreading to wild bees.”
Nobody is suggesting we stop planting flowers altogether. “We know that habitat loss is already a big problem for bees,” said Alger. Instead, she’s now investigating if increasing plant diversity, or culling certain plants could help decrease disease transmission.
She added that beekeepers and farmers need to take a long, hard look at how they are managing bees.
Use the article excerpt to answer the question.
It is possible to infer from this excerpt something about future efforts to save the bees. What inference can you make? In 3–5 short sentences as a short answer, state your inference and provide strong and thorough textual evidence from the excerpt to support the inference.
Short Answer Rubric (4 points)
Points Awarded Criteria
4
The answer is very clear.
The answer is fully supported by details.
There may be a few errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics. Errors do not interfere with meaning.
3
The answer is mostly clear.
The answer is supported by mostly relevant details.
There are a few errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics. Errors do not interfere with meaning.
2
The answer is somewhat clear.
Details are weak or not related.
There are some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Errors interfere with meaning.
1
The answer is not clear.
There are few or no supporting details.
There are many errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Errors interfere with meaning.
0 The question is not answered.
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