Honey Bees face a global fight New Zealand - 20 May 09 The
plight of the honeybees: the latest news, possible soultions and
a Scottish call to action To see the earth as an interconnected
ecosystem is difficult. When a key species, in this case
honeybees, faces a challenge that threatens their survival this
interconnection become apparent. The honeybee is thought to be
responsible for the pollination of about one third of the human
food supply. Since late 2006 the population of honeybees has
significantly declined thanks to a phenomena called, Colony
Collapse Disorder (CCD). Hive populations have dropped across
the North America, Europe and parts of the rest of the world.
With some countries experiencing losses of up to 40% of their
hive populations CCD is not well understood. The causes are
thought to stem from varroa mites, insect diseases and long term
effects from pesticides use. In Scotland, Ministers fear that
the falling number of bees could spell disaster for humans. They
have urged the government to