Update on the Honeybee Crisis

USDA AWARDS $4.1 MILLION TO STUDY COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

USDA.gov, July 17, 2008

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced today that more than $4 million will be awarded to the University of Georgia to study the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and other diseases affecting bee populations, whose pollination is valued at $15 billion annually to U.S. agriculture.

"Bees are an extremely valuable contributor to the overall productivity of American agriculture, but invasive pests, diseases and environmental stresses are putting U.S. bees at serious risk," Schafer said.

"This research will help beekeepers meet the pollination demand for the nation's food supply."
Decline of the honeybee causes worryUCD researchers search for cause of mysterious honeybee disappearance

The California Aggie, July 17, 2008

In many of the colonies, all the adult bees abandon the hive and leave behind the queen bee and a handful of very young bees, said Eric Mussen, apiculturist for the department of entomology. Colony Collapse Disorder is used to describe this phase among the honeybees, which takes place over a short period of a few days to a few weeks.The causes behind CCD are unknown to researchers.

Honey bee becoming endangered species

The Northern-Times.co.uk, July 17, 2008

EAST Sutherland Beekeepers emerged from last winter to some very nasty discoveries.
Early checks for signs of life and activity in beehives were not encouraging and when at last the weather allowed them to open up the hives it was even worse than anticipated. Many beekeepers found that their colonies were dead or on their last legs.