Honey Bee Decline
Honey Bees Are Rapidly Vanishing Without a Trace
A Crucial Part of Human Agriculture
Mysterious Decline U.S. bee keepers lost a third of their 2.4 million colonies in 2006, and 35% of the remaining colonies the following year. Mysteriously, few insect bodies were found: the bees simply disappeared.
Unusual Suspects The phenomenon of rapid, unexplained bee loss became known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Scientists suspect a combination of causes, including Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, a pathogen found in affected hives.
Hive Revival Bees pollinate an estimated $15 billion in U.S. crops each year. The potential impact of disappearing bees mobilized scientists and the government, which provided millions in aid for research and antiviral drugs.
