Vanishing Bees

More than 2,000 beekeepers in Virginia face the possibility of losing entire bee colonies to the Colony Collapse Disorder. The term, Colony Collapse Disorder, which was coined by scientists in 2007, is being used to describe the sudden disappearance of adult bee populations, an unexplained phenomenon that has plagued honeybee colonies around the world. According to Rick Fell, bee specialist, bee losses are not uncommon. Before Colony Collapse Disorder, an average of 31% of Virginia’s bee colonies would die because of winter loss. But last year more than 50% of bee colonies disappeared. Researchers have not pinpointed a single cause for the disorder, and instead point to a variety of contributing factors, most of which are related to colony health.