Honey bees dying around the country have a new helper: you.
At least 25 percent of our honey bees have died in what scientists call Colony Collapse Disorder. In addition to suffering from killer mites and a widespread viral infection, honey bees are now succumbing to this mysterious killer.
That means commercial crops such as almonds, apples, berries and melons, which are pollinated by honey bees, may be in danger.
One effort to help find out where healthy bees live is being run by biologists at San Francisco State University. They are calling it the Great Sunflower Project, and want you to help. They'll send you a packet of sunflower seeds if you agree to plant them and report on how many bees visit the flowers. Go to www.greatsunflower.org and sign up.
The university has given out 3,500 sunflower kits so far and has 6,500 left.
Haagen-Dazs also has a project to help honey bees. The company's website, www.helpthehoneybees.com, explains what's happening to the bees and what two universities are doing to help.
-- GEORGIA TASKER
