"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Fewer beekeepers are reporting evidence of a mysterious ailment that had been decimating the U.S. honeybee population.

But losses due to colony collapse disorder remain high enough to keep beekeepers on edge, and longtime stresses on bees such as starvation and poor weather add to the burden.

A survey of beekeepers for the January issue of the Journal of Apicultural Research found that the percentage of operations reporting having lost colonies but without dead bees in the hives -- a symptom of colony collapse disorder, or CCD -- decreased to 26 percent last winter, compared to 38 percent the previous season and 36 percent the season before that.

Also, the percentage of colonies that died that displayed the CCD symptom was 36 percent last winter, down from 60 percent three winters ago, the survey found.winter, down from 60 percent three winters ago, the survey found."

Genaro C. Armas reports for the Associated Press January 27. 2010. [2]