Where Have The Bees Gone?

Our Environment Where Have The Bees Gone? (NAPSA)—While recent headlines have been buzzing with news of vanishing honeybee colonies— known as “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD)—evidence suggests disappearing bees are nothing new. Late in 2006, reports began circulating that beekeepers had been mysteriously losing millions of honeybees. According to CropLife Foundation, a group created to promote and advance sustainable agri- Scientists have been working to explain the disappearance of honeybeecolonies. culture and the environmentally sound use of crop protection products, scientific literature describes similar bee disappearances around the globe over the past 50 to 60 years, and even as early as the 19th century. The group examined possible causes of CCD. Highlights from its new brochureinclude: No correlation has been found between CCD and insecticide exposure. Studies of bees remaining in collapsed colonies have found high levels of pathogens in the insects. One new virus—the Israeli acute paralysis virus—wasidentified as a primary suspect in CCD. For more information or a free brochure on the CCD issue, visit www.croplifefoundation.org.