Jim did an excellent interview regarding this subject with Dr. Dewey Caron on Blue Herald Radio. You can listen to it here.

WASHINGTON - Agriculture Department scientists are mobilizing to fight the puzzling and potentially catastrophic collapse of the nation’s honey bee colonies.

Citing a “perfect storm for beekeepers,” alarmed officials admitted Friday they still don’t know why bees are dying in large numbers in more than 22 states. But prodded by Congress and farmers alike, the scientists will be devoting new resources to protecting the diligent pollinators some call six-legged livestock.

“There were enough honey bees to provide pollination for U.S. agriculture this year, but beekeepers could face a serious problem next year and beyond,” Agriculture Undersecretary Gale Buchanan warned Friday.

Nationwide, honey bees pollinate more than 130 crops. They are particularly dutiful in some areas, such as California’s nearly $3 billion-a-year almond industry. Of the nation’s 2.4 million commercial bee colonies, 1.3 million pollinate almond orchards.

“The bee industry is facing difficulty meeting the demand for pollination in almonds because of bee production shortages in California,” the Agricultural Research Service noted.

Prepared with the help of scientists at North Carolina State University and Pennsylvania State University, among others, the 28-page action plan issued Friday proposes:

Spending more money. The Agricultural Research Service has a bee research budget of $7.4 million this year. Officials will redirect new funds to the cause, including an additional $1 million annually for work on honey bee health.

Conducting new surveys. Officials cautioned Friday that current colony surveys have been either “limited in scope (or) fundamentally flawed.” Agriculture Department agencies will collaborate with university researchers to obtain “an accurate picture of bee numbers,” as well as a better understanding of the pesticides, pests and environmental stresses plaguing the bees.

Finding fixes. This is particularly hard, since no one really knows why the bee colonies are collapsing. But officials say they will focus on “developing general best management practices” and distributing information through the Internet.

More at McClatchy

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