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June 12, 2008, 10:09 am
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In the winter of 2006, a strange phenomenon fell upon honeybee hives across the country. Without a trace, millions of bees vanished from their hives.

A pollinator of fruits and vegetables, the disappearing bees left billions of dollars of crops at risk and threatened our food supply. The epidemic set researchers scrambling to discover why honeybees were dying in record numbers -- and to stop the epidemic in its tracks before it spreads further.

There is going to be a PBS program about this problem. I don't know why there isn't more being said about this on the news since we are already inside this disaster.

In the winter of 2006/2007, more than a quarter of the country's 2.4 million bee colonies -- accounting for tens of billions of bees -- were lost to CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder.

Honeybees pollinate about one-third of crop species in the US. Honeybees pollinate about 100 flowering food crops. Essentially all flowering plants need bees to survive.

If the bees die out -- we might too!

The PBS show can be seen online and on TV. Just go to your local PBS station and see when it will be on. There is also a follow up show that they will air that asks if other bees can take over the job of the honeybee.

It's an important issue!

I heard something about this on the news. I, too, am surprised that it's not being talked about more. Honeybees are a very important part of the food chain. I believe there are people taking steps to increase the bee population but it will take some time.

I have been reading about his online.

Ironically, last week we had a swarm of bees visit a couple of our trees twice. We left them alone as they were very well behaved, staying higher in the tree when they noticed we were outside.

What can individuals do to encourage or support the bees that we still see?

I'm not sure that we can do much in all honesty. Anything that might attract them is also likely to attract wasps, which of course is not good.

So far our veggies have pollenated ok, so I am not sure how much the end of the world talk is valid, but I'll be looking out for the show.

What I want to know is, where the hell are they going? I mean, does anyone have a clue? Are they flying off and dying, or migrating to a different area?