"I hope no one goes away with the idea that we've actually solved the
problem," said Jeffrey S. Pettis.

Dr. Pettis said that even if the virus was involved, it was likely
that more than one factor had to align for a hive to collapse, with
another possible influence being poor nutrition. Most of the colonies
that had big losses last winter were in areas that experienced drought
a few months beforehand, and thus a lack of nectar in flowers, he
said.

Another factor, Dr. Pettis said, could be the stress that comes from
the increasingly industrial-style beekeeping operations in the United
States, in which truckloads of hives crisscross the country to
pollinate California almonds or Florida orchards each season.

But the virus stands out as a top suspect. While seven viruses and a
host of bacteria and parasites were identified in the genetic
screening, only the Israeli bee virus, first identified in 2004, was
strongly tied to the samples taken from keepers who reported the
collapse disorder.

-- NY Times

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