Researchers from Montana are part of a team that may have discovered the cause of Colony Collapse Distorder, the mysterious malady that has killed off billions of bees and emptied hives around the globe.
University of Montana biology research professor Jerry Bromenshenk said his research group has learned that a one-two punch comprised of both a honeybee virus previously unknown to North America and a fungal pathogen were found in all their samples collected at hives afflicted by CCD from 2006 to 2009. Those two pathogens were not found in the control groups – colonies with no history of CCD in Montana and Australia.
“We truly don’t know if these two pathogens cause CCD or whether the colonies with CCD are more likely to succumb to these two pathogens,” Bromenshenk said. “It’s a work in progress, but it may be the most important advance in the search for the cause of CCD in the previous three years.”
more Mysterious Disappearance of the World’s Bees Possibly Explained by Montana Researchers | Jule Banville | Travel & Outdoors | NewWest.Net
University of Montana biology research professor Jerry Bromenshenk said his research group has learned that a one-two punch comprised of both a honeybee virus previously unknown to North America and a fungal pathogen were found in all their samples collected at hives afflicted by CCD from 2006 to 2009. Those two pathogens were not found in the control groups – colonies with no history of CCD in Montana and Australia.
“We truly don’t know if these two pathogens cause CCD or whether the colonies with CCD are more likely to succumb to these two pathogens,” Bromenshenk said. “It’s a work in progress, but it may be the most important advance in the search for the cause of CCD in the previous three years.”
more Mysterious Disappearance of the World’s Bees Possibly Explained by Montana Researchers | Jule Banville | Travel & Outdoors | NewWest.Net