Colony Collapse Disorder

akirlu recently posted about a huge die-off of whole honeybee colonies that's being reported around the country. A story in the LA Times says that scientists have some new theories about what's causing it. It possibly involves a single-cell fungal parasite called Nosema ceranae that has wiped out colonies in Europe and Asia as well. The LA Times story includes a lot of interesting tidbits about bee pests and pathogens. For example, the Varroa mite, which also kills lots of bees, is itself infected by a virus that is then passed along to the bees. Pests within pests within pests!

Colony Collapse Disorder is such a strange, literal, bludgeoning name. Whatever is causing it, it has killed off a quarter of the commercial honeybee colonies in the US.