News Scoop: September 21, 2007 Vol. #13 Iss. #4
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
A Discovery to Buzz About!
Scientists are buzzing over the discovery of a virus that is new to the United States. The virus could explain why billions of honeybees have been dying all around the country.
Honeybees help flowering plants grow. Bees move grains of pollen from one part of a flower to another so a plant can grow seeds and fruit. This process is important for crops like apples and cucumbers. Crops could be in trouble if there aren't enough bees to do the job.
Researchers think the virus may have entered the U.S. with bees that beekeepers bought from Australia. But the virus is only one possible reason why bees are dying. Hot, dry weather could also be to blame. So could other bugs, or pesticides.
No one knows. But scientists believe that the virus will help them find answers to the great bee mystery. "We have a lead we can begin to follow," said one researcher.
