New buzz about bees

The New York Times is the latest newspaper to examine the die-offs in bee colonies faced by the nation's bee keepers. Some researchers suggest an "AIDS" of the bee industry might be at work:
From the Times article:

Researchers are also concerned that the willingness of beekeepers to truck their colonies from coast to coast could be adding to bees’ stress, helping to spread viruses and mites and otherwise accelerating whatever is afflicting them.
Dennis van Engelsdorp, a bee specialist with the state of Pennsylvania who is part of the team studying the bee colony collapses, said the “strong immune suppression” investigators have observed “could be the AIDS of the bee industry,” making bees more susceptible to other diseases that eventually kill them off.
Growers have tried before to do without bees. In past decades, they have used everything from giant blowers to helicopters to mortar shells to try to spread pollen across the plants. More recently researchers have been trying to develop “self-compatible” almond trees that will require fewer bees. One company is even trying to commercialize the blue orchard bee, which is virtually stingless and works at colder temperatures than the honeybee.


TK: As I remember from a trip to Leamington a couple of years ago, one Ontario greenhouse was experimenting with sonic waves to help pollination. The story notes imported bees from Australia are being brought in to buck up U.S. honeybees. Now about half of the nation's honeybees are in California pollinating the almond crop. Now covering nearly 600,000 acres of California farm ground, another 100,000 acres of almonds will be added by 2010 - bees willing, that is.