Where have all the honeybees gone?

The plight of the honeybee --
Are honeybees becoming an endangered species?
April 12, 2007 CBC News
(Robin Loznak/Daily Inter lake/Associated Press)

The once ubiquitous honeybee population has been declining drastically across North America, more so in the United States than in Canada. But how serious is the problem?

The latest phenomenon threatening honeybees is known as "colony collapse disorder," referred to as CCD by scientists, beekeepers and farmers. It has not yet been detected in Canada — perhaps because spring results are not yet in — but a Canadian authority on bees says CCD in the United States is "an absolute catastrophe."

Dr. Peter Kevan, an associate professor of environmental biology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, says the cause of CCD remains a mystery. It might be caused by parasitic mites, or long cold winters, or long wet springs, or pesticides, or genetically modified crops — or stress. Read more at http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/insects/index.html

SUGGESTION: Stop using toxic pesticides/herbicides--look for safe alternatives.