科学家在波兰致力于拯救蜜蜂

Scientists in Poland Work to Save Honeybees 科学家在波兰致力于拯救蜜蜂

Honeybees are in danger worldwide.

Their homes -- known as “colonies” -- are suffering from what scientists call Colony Collapse¹ Disorder².

Scientists have linked the disorder to infections from harmful microorganisms and pesticides⁴ -- products meant to kill other insects.

Researchers also have blamed a sharp drop in the honeybee population to loss of the bees’ natural habitat.

Polish researchers are working on ways to save honeybees. One of the diseases that affect honeybee colonies in Poland is nosemosis, also called nosema. It is a common fungi-based disease that affects adult bees.

Aneta Ptaszynska is a researcher with Maria Curie-Sklodowska University.

“Infected worker bees live for a very short time in the summer, about eight to 12 days, while they normally live 36 days. So the productivity of the whole bee family decreases and bees also have problems with passing (the) winter...”

Scientists believe some pesticides weaken the bees’ natural resistance against disease. This makes it difficult for them to fight parasitic⁵ organisms. After eating food or drinking water containing pesticides, the bees begin to act strangely and soon die.

Scientists believe nosema is one of the main reasons the number of bees has dropped by 50 percent in Poland over the past 15 years.

Polish scientists say they have found a natural substance in flowers that is more than 90 percent effective in saving bees. They have created a drug from it. The drug is now being tested.

Scientists are warning that insecticides designed to kill mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus can also harm bees. They say such products should be used in affected⁶ areas only when it is dark -- after bees are asleep. And they say only chemicals that kill the mosquito larvae⁷ should be used.

Michael Steinkampf is a beekeeper.

“This particular strain is very toxic⁸ to mosquito larva but when it’s put in the water it doesn’t hurt the bees at all.”

Words in This Story

pesticide³ – n. a chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops

habitat – n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows

fungus⁹ – n. any one of a group of related plants (such as molds, mushrooms, or yeasts) that have no flowers and that live on dead or decaying things (singular of fungi)

parasite¹⁰ – n. an animal or plant that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it

insecticide – n. a chemical substance that is used to kill insects

larva – n. a very young form of an insect that looks like a worm

strain – n. a kind or sort of something (usually + of)

toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

3 pesticide   

n.杀虫剂，农药

参考例句：

• The pesticide was spread over the vegetable plot.菜田里撒上了农药。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields.这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

4 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 parasitic   

adj.寄生的

参考例句：

• Will global warming mean the spread of tropical parasitic diseases?全球变暖是否意味着热带寄生虫病会蔓延呢？
• By definition,this way of life is parasitic.从其含义来说，这是种寄生虫的生活方式。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 larvae   

n.幼虫

参考例句：

• Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
• The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。

8 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

9 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

10 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。