The Wild Bees of the Pine Bush
by Grace Nichols ALBANY, NY: Bees pollinate over 75 % of the world’s plants. The honeybee, A. mellifera is an introduced European honeybee and has been declining since the 1950’s. As of 2007, 29% of beekeepers reported a 75 % loss in their hives due to Colony Collapse Disorder which is thought to be caused by mites, disease, monoculture farms, and pesticides. A lot of concern about bees and pollination tends to focus on honeybees. However, there are over 20,000…