US approves world’s first vaccine for declining honey bees- By Madeline Halpert- BBC News, New YorkThe US has approved use of the world's first vaccine for honey bees.The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved a conditional license for the vaccine this week, according to the biotech firm behind its development.The USDA says many, sometimes overlapping, factors threaten honey bee health, including parasites, pests and disease, as well as a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, which occurs when worker bees abandon a hive and leave behind the queen.The bacteria are incorporated into royal jelly feed given by worker bees to the queen bee, which then ingests the feed and keeps some of the vaccine in her ovaries, according to the biotech firm, which specialises in insect health and immunology.The new vaccine could mark an "exciting step forward for beekeepers", California State Beekeepers Association board member Trevor Tauzer said in a statement."