Twenty-two states in the US are reporting the increased dying off of honey bees. The US government appears to be making an attempt to address the problem, as the article excerpted and linked below describes.

One thing you might not notice about this article, which was pointed out by a commenter, is that there is no mention of the fact that organic bee farms are not having this problem, suggesting a likelihood that pesticides are part of the issue.

Here is a link to the article, which includes a summary of the 28-page action plan drawn up to address the dying honey bee crisis:

Prepared with the help of scientists at North Carolina State University and Pennsylvania State University, among others, the 28-page action plan issued Friday proposes:

Spending more money. The Agricultural Research Service has a bee research budget of $7.4 million this year. Officials will redirect new funds to the cause, including an additional $1 million annually for work on honey bee health.

Conducting new surveys. Officials cautioned Friday that current colony surveys have been either “limited in scope (or) fundamentally flawed.” Agriculture Department agencies will collaborate with university researchers to obtain “an accurate picture of bee numbers,” as well as a better understanding of the pesticides, pests and environmental stresses plaguing the bees.

Finding fixes. This is particularly hard, since no one really knows why the bee colonies are collapsing. But officials say they will focus on “developing general best management practices” and distributing information through the Internet. [full text]