Community Lens for March 29

John Fletcher submitted this photo of a bee in his backyard garden after having visited a fading zinnia. Although there is an increasing demand for pollination services, the number of honey bee colonies has dropped to about 2.5 million from more than 4 million in the 1970s, according to The Nature Conservancy. There are several reasons as to why this may be happening: loss of habitat, pesticide use, unspecified fungal diseases or mite infestations. Scientists now believe that much of the decline is due to Colony Collapse Disorder which refers to the unexplained disappearance and dying of honey bee colonies. Little is known about CCD, and that has many beekeepers, farmers and the general public worried.