Queen Bee

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. Since late 2006 there is a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of western honeybee colonies in North America. European beekeepers observed similar phenomena. In Germany, 12% of bees died within four years; in North America and Switzerland, it was 50%. The reasons for CCD are partly attributed to the use of pesticides.