Congress To Spend Millions On Bee Study

Congress is considering two bills, each of which would spend tens of millions of dollars to research so-called colony collapse disorder, the mysterious affliction affecting honeybees across the country. The big difference between the two bills is how many federal dollars would be pumped into the investigation, and how quickly. The House bill would spend $75 million over five years, and the Senate $250 million over 10 years. Beekeepers seem to be keeping up with the demand for crop pollinators, despite the die-off of bees in at least 35 states. Still, with about one third of all crops reliant on pollination, beekeepers and farmers aren't the only ones concerned about the future of the food supply, should something be really wrong with the bees. Some question whether colony collapse disorder is as bad as it sounds, since similar die-offs have been recorded in the past. As of yet, investigators of the disorder have identified many suspects, but no definitive culprit, according to a story in the June 17 Post-Standard. To keep up on the latest news about colony collapse disorder, read The Beekeeper, an exclusive blog for The Daily Green by Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture magazine. Here's a list of his most recent posts: Colony Collapse Disorder -- The Facts -- May 8 Do Bees Matter? Well, Only If you Think Food Matters -- May 11 Scientists Study New Pesticide In Bee Death Investigation -- May 15 One Expert's Long View: There Is No Bee Crisis -- May 17 A Novel Idea For the Yard: Leave It Alone -- May 21 To Understand Colony Collapse Disorder, Start With A Census - Part I - May 29 To Understand Colony Collapse Disorder, Start With A Census - Part II - May 29 The Many -- And I Mean Many -- Suspects Of CCD - June 4 Summer Brings Good Health To The Hives - June 12 Related Stories Sneak Peak: Many Causes To Bee Decline -- June 1 Crops Get By With Fewer Bees -- May 15 Questions About Chinese Honey -- May 3 To see related photos submitted by readers like you to our photoblog, click here.