A killer alternative

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is another way of saying that the honeybees of North America are still dying faster than usual and we’re trying to figure out why.

According to the USDA, losses of honeybees for the last eight years are at 29.6 percent, which is above the 18.9 percent level of loss that beekeepers say is “acceptable for their economic sustainability.”

To combat the symptoms of CCD, before each winter, beekeepers start off more bee colonies, which they will combine in the spring. This is how honeybee populations are rising around the world. Still, it’s not known if these methods can be relied on in the future, which is why there is talk of finding alternative ways to help pollinate plants.

Read more from The Daily Beast after the jump.