Bee crisis: Colony Collapse Disorder
Why the mysterious loss of honey bees in the US triggered a global panic.
Witness History · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
In 2007, the mysterious loss of commercial honey bees in the United States made headlines around the world. Researchers called the phenomenon Colony Collapse Disorder. The sudden loss of bee colonies had serious implications for modern agriculture as the commercial honey bees were used to pollinate many crops. The crisis served to highlight the broader threat to bees and other crucial pollinators from disease, pesticides and the destruction of habitat. Alex Last has been speaking to Dr Dennis vanEngelsdorp, who studied Colony Collapse Disorder.
Photo:Honey bees on a hive. (Getty Images)