> How long has the US been importing bees from New Zealand 
> and Australia and why now?

Some of it, perhaps all is explained here:
http://tinyurl.com/yqgvvt

By an amazing coincidence, it can be found in the same Hearst News
"publication" as your own article, and was put up by the editor 
only the day before the article you cited.

More is explained here:
http://bee-quick.com/reprints/apis_bc.pdf

and here:
http://bee-quick.com/reprints/regs.pdf

and here:
http://beealert.blackfoot.net/~beealert/ChemicalandBiologicalAnalysis.pd
f

and here:
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042707EC.shtml


> What role do you think pesticides play into this?

Very little, if any, despite the general paranoia expressed
by many, including the author of this breathless piece:
http://tinyurl.com/2uyhjy

Wait a moment... the same person offered two different and 
wildly conflicting explanations for CCD within a span of 
only a few days?

Here's an idea... lets wait for the paper, and see what Jeff and Ira
and the rest of the cast of this Cecil B. DeMille production can get 
published in an actual journal.  I assure you the wait won't be too
long.

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