Nation-wide, beekeepers are reporting that a mysterious illness is killing off bees in record numbers. The disease is called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD.

So far, scientists haven't pinned down a cause, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's potentially a multi-billion dollar issue.

Dennis Whetzel has worked with bees for 35 years. He has about 15 facilities in Rockingham and Augusta counties. His business is primarily in honey. So, he's monitoring the mysterious CCD.

"Well, it's my livelihood, so I have to keep track of it," says Whetzel.

According to the USDA, 2006 was the year bee keepers started reporting record losses of bees, in some cases as much as 90 percent of their hives. The department is looking at a variety of potential causes including pesticides, parasites, and stress. However, there has been no definitive cause found yet.

"So we think the environment is stressing their immune system quite a bit," says Whetzel. "So, we keep giving them new healthy comb in the hive that helps them to do better."

Even though Whetzel banks on honey sales, he recognizes the far-reaching problems CCD poses.

"The most important thing is that they pollinate the crops that we need," says Whetzel. "If we don't have bees for them, then we'll have misshapen fruit that doesn't look good, won't sell well."

The USDA estimates that bee pollination accounts for $15 billion in added crop value annually.

Bee keepers locally aren't reporting incidents of CCD, but they recognize the hazards this unusual phenomenon presents.

"See, bees are social insects," says Whetzel. "So, they need to have a good many bees in there to actually live and to function properly."

About a decade ago, beekeepers in Pennsylvania lost more than half of their hives for still-unknown reasons.

While the USDA says pesticides are not a definite cause of CCD, they still encourage people to be more conscious when using pesticides. They encourage people to avoid spraying at mid-day, since that's when bees are most active.