THE BUZZ

Honey bees, which are a critical link in U.S. agriculture, have been
under serious pressure from a mystery problem: Colony Collapse
Disorder (CCD), which is syndrome defined as a dead colony with
no adult bees or dead bee bodies but with a live queen and usually
honey and immature bees still present.No scientific cause for CCD
has been proven.

But CCD is far from the only risk to the health of honey bees and the
economic stability of commercial beekeeping and pollination operations
in the United States. Since the 1980s, honey bees and beekeepers have
had to deal with a host of new pathogens from deformed wing virus
to nosema fungi, new parasites such as Varroa mites, pests like small
hive beetles, nutrition problems from lack of diversity or availability in
pollen and nectar sources, and possible sublethal effects of pesticides.
These problems, many of which honey bees might be able to survive if
each were the only one, are often hitting in a wide variety of combinations,
and weakening and killing honey bee colonies. CCD may even be a result
of a combination of two or more of these factors and not necessarily the
same factors in the same order in every instance.

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's
internal research agency, is leading several efforts into possible CCD
causes and striving to enhance overall honey bee health by improving
bee management practices, as well as studying honey bee diseases and
parasites and how best to control them. In addition, a number of other
Federal agencies and State departments of agriculture, universities,
and private companies are conductingstudies to seek the cause or
causes of CCD.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572

On a GOOD NOTE

A San Francisco hotel installed
four beehives in its 1,000-square-foot onsite culinary garden in June
2010. 200,000 honeybees living in four beehives produce around 600
pounds of honey per year.

The rare "Melipona" bees,
which produce a type of honey that's known for its medicinal purposes, are
native to the Yucatan and are stingless. About 5,000 Melipona bees living in 1
beehive produce approximately 2 pounds of honey per year.

European Honey Bees were
introduced to Bermuda in 1616, and local folklore says a teaspoon of Bermuda
honey taken with tea is a powerful aphrodisiac.

http://www.beesource.com/resources/usda/the-different-types-of-honey-bees/