* Plan includes creating more flowering bee habitats 
 
 * More research needed into impact of parasites, viruses 
 
 * Syngenta, Bayer say ban would cost billions 
 
 * EU states have two months to reach compromise 
 
 * Campaigners say put bees before profits from pesticides (Adds reaction from European Commission, campaigners Avaaz) 
 
 By Emma Thomasson 
 
 ZURICH, March 28 (Reuters) - Syngenta and Bayer , top producers of the pesticides blamed for a sharp fall in bee populations around the world, have proposed a plan to support bee health to try to forestall a European Union ban on the products.
– Headlines about honeybees dying off may seem to have tapered off, but that doesn't mean the problem has gone away. In fact, it appears to have gotten "drastically" worse in the last year, reports the New York Times. Commercial beekeepers say 40% to 50% of their already diminished hives were wiped out in the last months of 2012, though official federal stats won't be out until May. Beekeepers continue to blame a new class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, though conclusive proof remains elusive. The pesticide industry disputes the claim, but seems to be backing off a bit as pressure mounts. The European Union, for example, is poised to institute a ban on "neonics," prompting leading producers Syngenta and Bayer to promise a more thorough study of colony collapse disorder, reports Reuters. It's not clear whether the offer—along with other ideas such as planting more bee-friendly habitats—will forestall the expected ban. One thing is clear, however: With an estimated 25% of the US diet dependent on bee pollination, expect food prices to rise in correlation to the bee deaths.