Honey bees travel many miles every day to gather nectar and pollen. They are famous for their homing instinct bringing each bee with the fruit of its labour back to the hive from which it took off. Ever heard of honey bees losing their way? Well, it is happening now - millions and millions of them are losing their way!
At least, that is what an article in today's Washington Post says. "The Flight of the Honeybee: A Mystery that Matters" by Adrian Higgins is about a strange phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder(CCD) observed in beehives across the United States. When bee after bee loses its way and vanishes, colonies left with the queen and unattended larvae, collapse and die. Our first reaction may be "No big deal, we will do without the honey". But honey bees are not mere providers of the sweet syrup which we may do without. Their more important role as agents of pollination in flowering plants is vital to our survival. Seen in that light, this is a challenge more potent than terrorism, likely to affect both terrorists and the victims they target.
The cause of Colony Collapse Disorder is yet to be found inspite of many investigations including one by a congressional committee. As per one of the many speculations, the cause is the omni-present cell phone, the signals of which are said to interfere with the navigational mechanism of the Bees.
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