Climbing honeybee populations world wide some blame climate change others a virus of course bees are essential to food production pollinating seventy percent of global crops they contribute an estimated two billion euros a year to german g.d.p. the french institute c n r s says the insects are responsible for two hundred billion euros in global economic output but half of all european bee colonies have died out many scientists blame mites but monocultures and loss of habitat also play a role u.s.b. populations are shrinking by thirty percent a year they ve become so rare in parts of china that thousands of farm workers have to pollinate trees and crops by hand. when the cherry blossoms are out it s time for witching you know to start work on something that s normally taken care of by nature the farmer pollinates her trees by hand it should be bees