Honeybee populations in the United States are being decimated
by a mysterious new disease, the Associated Press
reported last week. The previously unknown ailment, termed “colony
collapse disorder,” is killing tens of thousands
of honeybee colonies across the country, costing some
beekeepers as much as 50 percent of their bees.
Worldwatch
Institute agriculture expert Danielle Nierenberg
notes that the disease’s attack on already declining
U.S. bee populations could have serious effects on pollination.
According to researchers, bees provide crop-pollinating
services valued at some $92 billion, and their diversity
is also linked to that of many wild plant species.
Nierenberg says this latest blight points to the importance
of ongoing research on emerging animal diseases. Her upcoming
work will focus on the link between disease and the increased
industrialization of food and livestock production.
From:
Worldwatch Institute http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4924
HONEY BEE DIE-OFF ALARMS BEEKEEPERS, CROP GROWERS AND
RESEARCHERS
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- An alarming die-off of honey
bees has beekeepers fighting for commercial survival
and crop growers wondering whether bees will be available
to pollinate their crops this spring and summer. Researchers
at Penn State are scrambling to find answers to what's
causing an affliction recently named Colony Collapse
Disorder, which has decimated commercial beekeeping operations
in Pennsylvania and across the country.
From:
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/07Jan/HoneyBees.htm
Penn State Podcasts: http://podcasts.psu.edu/taxonomy/term/62