BLAME GAME: The drop in bee numbers has been attributed to several factors. -- PHOTO: AP
VARIOUS culprits have been blamed for the dramatic drop in bee numbers worldwide, including a mysterious phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, in which entire bee populations desert their hives never to return.
They include:
Viruses: These include the Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, discovered in 2004, in which bees become 'frozen', and they die. Hives infected with it were also hit by a second killer, the Kashmiri Bee Virus. Varroa mites: These bee parasites first found in Java a century ago have since spread to the United States and other countries. They suck the blood of bees, and have become immune to pesticides.
Pesticides: Nicotine-based pesticides, which act on the central nervous system, are another key suspect. Germany and France have banned some of them following a sharp spike in bee deaths.
Cellphones: German researchers suspect that radiation from mobile phones could be interfering with the insects' navigation systems, preventing them from returning to the hive. Previous studies have shown that the behaviour of bees changes near power lines.
NEW SCIENTIST, THE ECONOMIST