The Mystery of the Vanishing Bees

Scientists find clue in mystery of the vanishing bees – CNN.com  Annotated

A virus found in healthy Australian honey bees may be playing a role in the collapse of honey bee colonies across the United States, researchers reported Thursday.

Honey bees walk on a moveable comb hive at the Bee Research Laboratory, in Beltsville, Maryland. >

Colony collapse disorder has killed millions of bees — up to 90 percent of colonies in some U.S. beekeeping operations — imperiling the crops largely dependent upon bees for pollination, such as oranges, blueberries, apples and almonds. >

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says honey bees are responsible for pollinating $15 billion worth of crops each year in the United States. More than 90 fruits and vegetables worldwide depend on them for pollination. >

Signs of colony collapse disorder were first reported in the United States in 2004, the same year American beekeepers started importing bees from Australia. >

The disorder is marked by hives left with a queen, a few newly hatched adults and plenty of food, but the worker bees responsible for pollination gone.