Colony Collapse Disorder

Bees play an integral role in the world food supply, and are essential for the pollination of over 90 fruit and vegetable crops worldwide, with the economic value of these agricultural products placed at more than $14.6 billion in the U.S. In addition to agricultural crops, honey bees also pollinate many native plants within the ecosystem. Recently, the increased deaths in bee colonies due to CCD seriously threaten the ability of the bee industry to meet the pollination needs of fruit and vegetable producers in the U.S.

The Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group, a collaboration of researchers from around the country including Penn State University, the USDA, the Mailman School’s Greene Lab, and others, are working to identify potential causal factors common to CCD colonies and devise preventative measures to disrupt the disorder, with the ultimate goal to ensure strong colonies for pollination.

Read the full article on Colony Collapse Disorder @ ScienceDaily.com.