One thing we have to realize with CCD is that there are two parts to each challenge. The first is understanding what could be the 'smoking gun'. The fungus/virus combination was supposedly in 100% of the CCD honeybees found. Pesticides may play a role as well. The more important question is: Can we find a solution for the crisis? In the case of IAPV or the Varoa mite; not yet. In discussion with one of the ARS/Bee Lab scientist last week, finding a solution for a virus is extremely difficult. My true frustration is that most research funding is only directed to 'save the honeybee.' I realize that this is the backbone to our crops/orchards and deserves the lion's share of funding. However, when faced with a crisis of this magnitude, one should always have backup plans running in parallel. For example, BP had two side shafts in addition to their main effort. The Chilean minor rescue had 2 alternate rescue tunnels being bored in addition to the main shaft. In the US, we are ignoring our native bees. My company is working with like minded individuals to raise huge quantities of native insects to be used commercially. However, it takes years to get a sufficient quantity. After raising mason bees for 5 years, we have just enough to pollinate 200 acres. That's really nothing in terms of what is needed for Washington Cherries/apples with over 400,000 acres. One of our long range goals is to find manageable native bees in each region of the country and help local businesses raise/manage/sell the bee to local orchard/crops within that bee's native climate. It's not about making money, it's about having food on our table in 10 years. We have to start very soon if we are to have minimal numbers of native insects. To hope that someone else takes care of this is fine... but we need people to get the word out about determining what local bee seems to be manageable. Our website (crownbees.com) is built to help people be successful with raising mason bees. That's the first step. As more native insects are found, we'll help people be successful with raising them as well. It's a tough vision, but necessary for North America to consider. I pray the honeybees make it. I'm actively working on alternatives to buffer commercial pollination if not. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Crownbees.com

Seems likely, but don't count other options out just yet. Earlier in the year the media was claiming a new cause every other week.

I'm beginning to doubt quite a bit of this colony collapse disorder hype. Now before I am verbally pummelled, let me explain what I mean. I checked out as much as I could about this because I was worried about my own little home garden. I started to find some outrageous things being said out there, and it is repeated over and over on various websites. For example, I read estimates of how many bee colonies have collapsed and I see estimates as high as 90% in the USA and 50% in Canada. I try to find more about Canadian beekeepers and I find that in reality, there were no unusually high losses last year and that this spring there were reported high losses all over Southern Ontario and New Brunswick. Naturally, the panic of CCD sets into the beekeepers, and the media jumps all over it. So, these bee losses are investigated, and they find that the losses are due to unusual fall and spring weather (a late wet spring), and the usual mite losses. Regular overwintering problems for bee colonies in Canada. The funny thing is that there have been past years exactly like this, with these same percentages of bee losses. Suddenly though, beekeepers are panicking about CCD. As it turns out, there are lots of stories about CCD in Canada from the media, the beekeepers...the problem is that the scientists investigate, it turns out to be the usual losses. No CCD. Is this a case of Chicken Little? Yet a search of the internet today still finds loads of stories of the imminent demise of the honeybee industry here. Then I think about the USA loss estimates. 90%? I mean, if the bee colony losses were as bad as some places claim, wouldn't it be a little harder to find honey in your supermarket? Maybe this is another case of paranoia/media hype/the sky is falling. Now we look at organic beekeepers. They aren't reporting losses perhaps because they understand that some bee losses are a part of nature? Dead or missing bees has happened in prior years and will probably happen in future years too? I don't know. I am sure that there is something happening, particularily in some sections of the US. I think a lot of the rest is just a paranoia that has set in. What a load of hype and BS. I'm finding it hard to believe.

At this point, most crop producers have been able to secure enough bees to provide pollination for the 2007 season. There are no anticipated shortages of any crops for now. This may not be true if CCD affects bees again this fall. Crops pollinated by bees and commonly grown on the east coast include: (curcurbits) Cantaloupe, cucumber, watermelon, squash, pumpkin, etc. (Rosacea, Ericaceae, Umbellifera, Amaryllidaceae, Cruciferae and others) Apples, Pears, peaches, plums, almonds, Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, onions, turnips, radishes, cabbages, broccolis, etc. If it has the word "berry" in its name, most likely bees are involved in production. If it is an edible fruit growing on a tree, bees are likely part of production. Feed crops that are pollinated by honeybees include alfalfa, clover, vetches, etc. These crops are fed to cattle as hay. This group includes about 40 common legumes. Major honey plants are in this group! Crops relatively unaffected by honeybee pollination include most of the solanums such as potato, tomato, pepper, etc. Poacea which is most of the true grasses such as corn, triticums such as wheat, etc is in this group. If you would refer to it as a grass, it is unlikely to be affected by bees. Most of the plants we refer to as beans are in this group including green beans, limas, cowpeas, etc, not because they don't produce nectar, rather because the flower shape prevents honeybee pollination. Fusion (Who consulted his honey plants manual to get this information)