Back in 2007 I posted a couple of items relating to a mystery which was tormenting scientists, a mystery which threatened not only an industry but the health of the entire ecosystem. Whole colonies of honey bees were dying off -- in Europe, America, everywhere -- and nobody could figure out why. Cell phone towers, weather patterns, pesticides, parasitic spores -- there were several suspects but none of them could be pinned down.
Until now?
San Francisco State University's Andrew Core thinks he's got the answer. It's a fly parasite that lays eggs in the abdomen of the honey bee eventually turning the bees into confused, listless creatures before killing them. Ugly stuff but, if this is indeed the answer, it could lead to effective bee protection strategies. And that's very good news.
Here's more.
