"MAD BEE" DISEASE IN FRANCE

April 13, 1998 -- The French government is battling an outbreak of
what's being referred to as "mad bee" disease, which is killing millions
of honeybees in western France.

The first report of large numbers of bees being affected came from
beekeepers last summer. They said that an increasing number of the
insects became disorientated and failed to return to their hives after
pollinating sunflowers.

The beekeepers in the region blame the disease on the increasing use of
pesticides, which they say is destroying the insects' sense of
direction. It's estimated that the mysterious illness has killed 60
percent of the famed honey bees since it first appeared.