Honey bees are the most economically valuable pollinators of agricultural crops worldwide.  Bee pollination contributes to the production of a wide range of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and crops.  The monetary value of honey bees as commercial pollinators in the U.S. is estimated at about $15 billion annually.

In 2006, reports began to surface that honey bee colonies were dying off in alarming numbers on the East Coast and by the end of 2006 the phenomenon had spread to the West Coast.  Scientists studying the bees have concluded that the following issues could have led to the decline in the colonies.

• parasites, mites, and disease loads in the bees and brood
• emergence of new or newly more virulent pathogens
• poor nutrition among adult bees
• lack of genetic diversity and lineage of bees
• level of stress in adult bees (e.g., transportation and confinement of bees, overcrowding, or other environmental or biological stressors)
• chemical residue/contamination in the wax, food stores, and/or bees

The President just signed the 2008 farm bill into law, which includes funding to help conserve honey bee colonies.  I will continue monitoring this situation.