A few months ago, we reported that bees have been mysteriously disappearing and its reasons are still unknown. There has been a lot of speculation as to why this is happening - some thinkers believe that sunspots are the culprit, while there are others who think that a particular fungus is to blame. Now a Cornell University expert is revealing his findings about this occurrence.

According to Nicholas Calderone, the Cornell entomology professor, finding the cause of the problem is vital for U.S. agriculture as many fruits and crops rely on honeybees for pollination. He explains that "just like in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster there are a lot of conflicting and inaccurate reports circulating in the media. What we do know is that there are an awful lot of dead bees. We are looking for patterns."

Among the possible causes of the bee deaths are genetically modified food, mites, pathogens, pesticides, and even electromagnetic radiation from cell phones. Calderone clarifies that actual causes are still unknown. A possible culprit pointed out by scientists is a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids - they are widely detected on pollen at low concentrations in other countries experiencing the same thing.

Apparently, neonicotinoids at certain levels may impair the bees' abilities to learn; scientists hypothesize that, due to this, bees may leave their hives and get lost. Calderone believes that this study could use more research. Another reason could be miticides used to combat mites. It has been hypothesized that miticides can accumulate in the bees' wax combs to levels that could harm the bees.

It's a good thing that a lot of people seem to care about this problem. As of now, Cornell and other universities are putting together funding plans to research and investigate the cause of the bee deaths. The federal government is thinking of allotting millions of dollars for long-term programs aimed at improving the honeybees' health.