New Theory Explains Colony Collapse Disorder: Beetle Yeast

According to this abstract, a possible or probable cause of CCD is the small hive beetle, an invasive species that evolved as a parasite of African honey bees. This beetle was [accidentally, I hope] introduced into Florida in 1998 and can now be found as far away as Pennsylvania. It invades hives, feeds on pollen and brood, contaminates honey with its feces, and leaves behind a species of yeast that grows on the pollen and produces a honey-bee alarm pheromone that attracts more beetles and eventually causes the bees to abandon the hive. And we thought mice and roaches were annoying. Compared to African honey bees, European honey bees are much less responsive to the alarm pheromone produced by the beetle fungus, and the researchers think that the bees might not respond to an infestation of the beetles until it is too late [and their only option is to go take showers in a motel and then set up a new, clean, spacious ferral hive in someone's attic].

Spiegel has more information on colony collapse disorder (CCD). They begin by ripping to shreds a previous report in the Independent that pointed the finger at mobile device transmissions, which was the topic of a post here. Then they go on to list every major theory attempting to explain CCD and list the evidence (or lack of) supporting each.

The Independent has another possible explanation for CCD (colony collapse disorder), an as-yet unexplained syndrome that has resulted in a 70% decrease in the honey bee population of the East Coast [of North America] over the winter months. Honey bee populations on the West Coast and in Europe have been similarly effected, although not as precipitously. Although the article states that there is mounting evidence that transmissions from mobile devices could be interfering with bees' ability to find their way back to their hives, it also states that the honey bee population in Britain has not been effected. This last bit of info is enough to give me a gut feeling that, unless British officials are lying, the cause of CCD will turn out to be a new pathogen and not increasing amount of wireless transmissions or toxins in the environment. Britain has just as many mobile phones per capita and at a similar population density as the Northeast, but it is protected from many pathogens by miles of water.