A Parasite Devastates Bees, and Farmers Are Worried

This ain't good!

This is a national problem," said Kevin Hackett, national program leader for bees and pollination at the Agriculture Department's Research Service. "We've lost at least half of our hives, and 70 percent in some areas. With a couple of million hives in the U.S., and you reduce that population by half, that's very serious."

The problem is not just about honey. Bees are needed to pollinate $15 billion worth of agricultural products a year. Growers report increasing competition, and rising prices, for the hives that are moved around the country in the spring, from the almonds in California in February to the apples, blueberries and other fruits elsewhere later in the season.
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