A Defra spokeswoman said: "Defra is aware of the serious situation in the USA in respect of the widespread loss of bees described as
Colony Collapse Disorder.
This should help us understand optimal productivity conditions as well as further our knowledge o the cause of
colony collapse disorder," CSIRO science leader Dr Paulo de Souza said in a statement, adding that the sensors appear to have no impact on the bees' ability to fly and carry out its normal duties.
There has been nationwide concern among beekeepers, and among farmers who depend on bees for pollination, about a phenomenon called "
colony collapse disorder" that OSU researchers said began appearing in late 2006 on the East Coast.
Also
Colony Collapse Disorder has already devastated the US.
The move was spurred by a burgeoning body of scientific evidence linking neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides chemically similar to nicotine, with
colony collapse disorder, a mysterious phenomenon where worker bees vanish.
"We are particularly interested in these results, and think the public will be too, given the alarming honey bee colony losses in recent years due to
colony collapse disorder, as well as the role that these pollinators play in the security of our food supply," Newton said.
The USDA officials did say they are looking closely at the effects of the chemical on bee populations, particularly in light of the onset of
colony collapse disorder, a mysterious ailment that has been killing off bee populations.
You can read the latest about
colony collapse disorder on Page 16 of "Green Gazette." MOTHER
Many, including agricultural experts at OSU, say the increased honey bee losses lumped under the heading of
Colony Collapse Disorder began in 2006.
Nearly one in seven hives dies out naturally each winter, but beekeepers want to know whether discoveries of deserted hives this spring are signs that the mysterious
colony collapse disorder - CCD - sweeping America and Europe has emerged in Britain.
Environmental Protection Agency has conditionally approved thousands of under-tested pesticides, including one linked to the mass decline in bee populations, also known as
colony collapse disorder, according to a recent report from the National Resources Defense Council.
The
Colony Collapse Disorder Working Team, created by the U.S.