Colony collapse disorder is currently understood. Nobody really knows where they go, but it's got this mysterious... Scary. There are a lot of culprits. Probably the best explanation is a combination of factors,. viruses, maybe weakening by insecticides that are applied to crops or applied directly to the colony by beekeepers.
Wally Thurman of North Carolina State University and PERC talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the world of bees, beekeepers, and the market for pollination. Thurman describes how farmers hire beekeepers to pollinate their crops and how that market keeps improving crop yields and producing honey. Thurman then discusses how beekeepers have responded to Colony Collapse Disorder--a not fully understood phenomenon where colonies disband, dramatically reducing the number of bees. The discussion closes with the history of bee pollination as an example of a reciprocal externality and how Coase's insight helps understand how the pollination market works.