An Ecological Whodunit: The Story of Colony Collapse Disorder

What is it about?

In the mid-2000s it started being reported that honeybees had begun to vanish, suffering from a syndrome known as colony collapse disorder (CCD). CCD, which has predominantly been observed in hives across North America and Europe, results in the disappearance of honeybees from hives. Due to the lack of biological remains left in those hives affected by CCD, for many years the syndrome proved significantly difficult to diagnose. This article traces the story of the CCD crisis, arguing that the mysterious vanishing of honeybees, combined with the lack of evidence about why they were disappearing, meant that CCD became re-imagined as an ecological whodunit. The work illustrates how the framing of CCD in this way encouraged widespread concern for honeybees, paving the way for extensive advocacy and action on their behalf. As such, this article emphasizes how the stories surrounding the potential extinction of a species are fundamental in determining how said species loss is responded to.

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