Managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L) populations have steadily declined in the United States over the last 60 years [1]. Beekeepers have, on average, lost 30% or more of their colonies each winter over the last several years [2-4]. The causes for these losses are multiple and complex [5], and are of particular concern considering the importance of honey bees as pollinators of many agricultural crops. If such losses continue, they threaten not only the livelihoods of beekeepers, but the livelihood offarmers who require bees to pollinate their crops. An estimated 35% of the western human diet benefits, directly or indirectly, from honey bee pollination [6].
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