State devotes more money to research mystery bee ailment

May 07, 2008 06:28 am

— HARRISBURG (AP) _ Pennsylvania's Agriculture Department is devoting more money to research what's behind the mysterious ailment plaguing honey bees.
Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff says another $20,000 will pay for a study that will investigate the illness called "Colony Collapse Disorder."
Scientists are trying to find out what's behind the problem, in which bees abandon their hives. Pennsylvania beekeepers in 2006 began reporting losses of 30 percent to 90 percent of their colonies.
The Agriculture Department says it has earmarked more than $800,000 total to bee research.