EarthWeek: A Diary of the Planet..
By Steve Newman..

Vanishing Bee's..
The Mysterious disappearance of millions of bees across the United States and Western Europe since last fall threatens honey supplies..
as well as crops that depend on the insects for pollination..

Beekeepers from Pennsylvania to California say they have seen the number of bees in their hives drop by between 50 to 90 percent..
Comparable losses are reported in hives from Britain to Greece..
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says no one has been able to determine
why the bees have vanished , leaving only the queen and sometimes large
amounts of honey..

Experts say the usual causes for bee losses , such as mites , appear not to be the main factor in the so-called " colony collapse disorder."

Beekeepers in Oregon , however ,
say they have not only excaped the losses seen elsewhere ,
but actually have seen their hives thrive with more numerous and robust bees than have been observed in many years...