Bees are disappearing - are pathogens the cause?
SInce 2006, America’s honeybee colonies have been dying off, sometimes overnight. Over the past few years, one-third of all honeybee colonies have collapsed in what scientists have named colony collapse disorder (CCD). Now, they’re getting some clues to help explain what’s going on:
The sick bees exhibited genetic damage that could account for the die-off, and that damage indicated that they might be afflicted with multiple viruses simultaneously. This could weaken them enough to trigger CCD. “It’s like a perfect storm,” says Berenbaum.
