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Scientists remain stymied as honeybees in the United States and across the world continue to die in large numbers. Lately there seems to be a lot of talk about bees, honey bees in particular. In recent years, there has been a drastic and mysterious die-off of honey bee colonies. Although not unusual in the bee business, this latest decline in populations has many people talking. Although there is an increasing demand for pollination services, the number of honey bee colonies has dropped to about 2.5 million from more than 4 million in the 1970′s. There are several reasons as to why this may be happening: loss of habitat, pesticide use, unspecified fungal diseases or mite infestations. Scientists now believe that much of the decline is due to Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, which refers to the unexplained disappearance and dying off of honey bee colonies. Little is known about CCD, and that has many beekeepers, farmers and the general public worried. “There are a lot of beekeepers who are in trouble” said David Mendes, president of the American Beekeeping Federation. “Under normal condition you have 10 percent winter losses … this year there are 30, 40 to 50 percent losses.” For many years, beekeepers have been plagued by colony collapse disorder, in which formerly healthy bees abruptly vanish from their hives. The number of beehives in the United States dropped 32 percent in 2007, another 36 percent in 2008 and still another 29 percent in 2009. A number of explanations for the phenomenon have been suggested, including diseases, parasites, malnutrition, but toxic chemicals are emerging as a major concern among beekeepers. READ MORE: http://morichesdaily.com/2010/08/scientists-stunned-bee-populations-continue-dec… added by: MorichesDaily