Getting your player ready...
ROME — Almost half of Italy’s 50 billion bee population died last year, causing panic among Italy’s farmers and environmentalists. The mortality rate could have a drastic effect on the country’s honey industry and wreak havoc on fruit crops, which need the bees for pollination.
Experts consider that the losses to the Italian agriculture sector could reach estimates of $370 million. The cause of the deaths is not yet known. The Italian environment agency said Tuesday they could be triggered by climate change and pollution. Other specialists think a mysterious phenomenon called colony collapse disorder is killing the bees.
