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This message was sent from Georgia Magazine (http://uga.edu/gm/). Exploring an enigma - Cover Story June 2012 Issue It’s a beautiful spring morning in March, and Keith Delaplane is cracking open a hive at UGA’s Honey Bee Lab. He puffs smoke into the hive to “let them know we’re coming,” then uses a small metal tool to pry open the edges, which are sealed together with beeswax. As he lifts frames from the hive—they look like small window screens hanging inside a wooden banker’s box—he plays tour guide. Entomology Professor Keith Delaplane directs UGA’s Honey Bee Program and leads a team of researchers working to identify the cause of honey bee decline. The lab at UGA includes 30 to 40 hives, with more located in other Georgia counties. “There’s a baby bee just emerged,” he says. “You can tell because she’s white, kind of pale. She’s probably only minutes old.” He uses the corner of the hive tool to scrape honey from a cell, tastes it, and then points out the pollen. “Do you see how they layer it?” … Read full article at http://uga.edu/gm/ee/index.php?/single/2012/06/1571/.