Causes of Bee Decline

from Suzanne Stimpson:

According to the Washington Post, "the honeybee population in the United States is now less than half of what it was at the end of World War II. Driven largely by industrial farming practices, that decline was well underway when, in 2006, commercial beekeepers began finding many of their hives suddenly abandoned. Colony collapse appears to be linked to a variety of factors that work in concert to weaken bees."

The USDA has now announced $8 million in incentives to farmers and ranchers in 5 states who establish new habitats for bees.  Progress, I hope.

More here.