Mysterious Disappearance of Bees Raises Concern

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published May 7, 2007 at 10:56 AM PDT

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

Billions of bees mysteriously disappear across the country. From honey to pollination, this $15 billion per year industry is vital to our food supply. We speak with the San Diego County entomologist

Mysterious Disappearance of Bees Raises Concern

Alison St John (Guest Host): It's been said that civilization as we know it is more likely to be destroyed by bugs than by terrorism. Recently some scientists have begun to wonder if mankind is too dependent on honey bees. They are responsible for 80% of all crop pollination and one-third of the human diet comes from insect pollinated plants

But starting in November a mysterious phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, has ravaged hives not just in the U.S. but in Canada, Brazil and parts of Europe. What's going on and should we be concerned?

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Guests

David Kellum, county entomologist for San Diego County's Department of Agriculture, Weights, and Measures.
James Gibbs, beekeeper with colonies in San Diego County and the Imperial Valley.

(Photo: iStockPhoto )