I have on various occasions reported on CCD (colony collapse disorder) and other disasters affecting honey bees around the world in recent years, mainly for Current Biology.
Now I've done a major round-up of the bees problems as a full length feature which is out in the Feb issue of Chemistry World. Essentially, I've been looking at the more serious possibilities, including pesticides, stress, environment (i.e.monoculture), and parasites. The emerging picture is that a combination of several factors is causing the problems. I also talked to Mike Edwards, an expert on wild bee species who maintains that their contribution to pollination is underappreciated, and the main problem of honey bees is domestication. He is featured in this month's CW podcast.
What's bugging the bees? (restricted access)
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