The Agriculture & Applied Economics Association says the death of bees this past winter could affect the U.S. economy.   According to the USDA, 28 percent of bees did not make it through the winter season.  That number is up six percent from a year ago.  Since about 25 percent of the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees, the increase in deaths could have an effect on food prices.

Conversely the report also shows there are more honey bees alive now than there were 10 years ago when the concerns about bee loss first began.  The unanswered question is if the bee deaths are an anomaly or a long-term trend.

For those looking further for bee answers, Walter Thurman of North Carolina State University has been studying bee patterns and pollination for more than 10 years.  His work is available in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.