Scientists ID possible cause for honeybee colony collapse
By Kurt Kipp, Daily Digger
Oregon Association of Nurseries
For five years, scientists have puzzled over the origin of colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is believed responsible for a decline in the honeybee populations that many agricultural producers depend upon. Now it appears that a scientist at San Francisco State University may have discovered one possible culprit quite by accident. He uncovered an insect parasite, Apocephalus borealis, which appears to drive its host away from the hive before ultimately killing it. After engaging in further research, scientists don’t think this insect is solely responsible for CCD, but may be part of the overall puzzle, along with a virus that causes wing deformities, and a fungus called Nosema ceranae, both frequently present in the affected honeybees. Read more.
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