Vanishing honeybees mystify scientists, page 1

(MSNBC)-Go to work, come home. Go to work, come home. Go to work — and vanish without a trace.

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Billions of bees have done just that, leaving the crop fields they are supposed to pollinate, and scientists are mystified about why.

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The phenomenon was first noticed late last year in the United States, where honeybees are used to pollinate $15 billion worth of fruits, nuts and other crops annually. Disappearing bees also have been reported in Europe and Brazil.

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If the bees were dying of pesticide poisoning or freezing, their bodies would be expected to lie around the hive. And if they were absconding because of some threat — which they have been known to do — they wouldn’t leave without the queen.

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Since about one-third of the U.S. diet depends on pollination and most of that is performed by honeybees, this constitutes a serious problem, according to Jeff Pettis of the U.S. Agricultural Research Service.