Have you been seeing all the press about bees of late and wondering what the heck all the talk is about? We have too and so are endeavouring to bring you the scoop.

It seems that the honeybee population has been declining drastically of late across North America, and even in Europe. According to CBC News, the latest threat is known as ‘colony collapse disorder’ (CCD).

Described as “an absolute catastrophe,” the cause of CCD remains a mystery. It might be caused by parasitic mites, or long cold winters, or long wet springs, or pesticides, or genetically modified crops — or stress. And why is this worrisome?

Honeybees are important for much more than honey, although the honey alone is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The real impact of honeybees is on other crops — apples, cucumbers, alfalfa, blueberries, almonds, squash, watermelons, cantaloupes and a huge variety of other fruits and vegetables — that constitute an industry worth tens of billions of dollars. In parts of South America, bees actually pollinate timber trees. Pollinating fruits and vegetables is a delicate, painstaking task for the honeybee. Frank Blanchard, president of the South Carolina Beekeepers Association, explained that a bee must make 11 visits to pollinate a single blossom of a watermelon plant — and the visits must all come on the same day.