Interesting Article on Colony Collapse Disorder

I just read an article, published by the BBC on March 5, 2009, regarding Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD has been blamed for the recent disappearance and/or failure of honeybee hives around the world. According to the article, in the U.S. alone, over TWO MILLION hives have been lost! There are dozens of theories about the exact causes of this phenomenon, but no hard evidence as of yet. The basic gist of the article is that some scientists believe that there is no one direct cause of CCD and that it may be, in fact, due to multiple events including rise in parasite populations, agriculture methods, etc. In fact, large population declines may be a natural part of honeybee populations.

I think this article demonstrates the lack of information that science has with regard to honeybees and the complex relationship to the environment honeybees have. So, if science can't solve the problem, what can?

I think good honeybee management practices by beekeepers, even hobby beekeepers, is a start. Taking good care of hives, educating yourself on pest and disease management, and promoting beekeeping within your community is something every beekeeper can do.

Your thoughts?

Here's a link to the article: 'No Proof' of Killer Bee Theory