Category: Colony Collapse Disorder

Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression.

February 24, 2021

A new study led by Illinois professor of entomology May Berenbaum shows that some components of the nectar and pollen grains bees collect to manufacture food increase expression of detoxification genes that help keep honey bees healthy. Research in the wake of Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious malady afflicting (primarily commercial) honey bees, suggests that … More Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression.

Pesticide manufacturers’ own tests reveal serious harm to honeybees.

February 6, 2021

Bayer and Syngenta criticised for secrecy after unpublished research obtained under freedom of information law linked high doses of their products to damage to the health of bee colonies. Unpublished field trials by pesticide manufacturers show their products cause serious harm to honeybees at high levels, leading to calls from senior scientists for the companies … More Pesticide manufacturers’ own tests reveal serious harm to honeybees.

Insect populations across the world are plummeting at a startling rate. A report led by The Wildlife Trusts highlights just how dramatic the decline has been over the last few decades—a trend the paper’s authors call “the unnoticed apocalypse.”

January 25, 2021

Six-legged bugs might not attract as much attention or sympathy as larger, cuddlier mammals, the authors say, but their decline has been more dramatic and may have greater ramifications for humanity. The study points to evidence that suggests insect populations may have shrunk 50 percent or more since the 1970s, due to a combination of … More Insect populations across the world are plummeting at a startling rate. A report led by The Wildlife Trusts highlights just how dramatic the decline has been over the last few decades—a trend the paper’s authors call “the unnoticed apocalypse.”

The numbers are in: Beekeepers faced their second highest losses in 14 years this past year.

January 13, 2021

Help save the bees: Demand that Congress ban bee-killing pesticides today! The situation is dire with massive bee die offs — largely thanks to the continued use of bee-killing pesticides. Thankfully, the Saving America’s Pollinators Act (SAPA) would put a stop to these toxic chemicals. Scientists have warned that further decline of bees and other insects could lead us to a … More The numbers are in: Beekeepers faced their second highest losses in 14 years this past year.

Honeybees pick up ‘astonishing’ number of pesticides via non-crop plants.

November 24, 2020

A Purdue University study shows that honeybees collect the vast majority of their pollen from plants other than crops, even in areas dominated by corn and soybeans, and that pollen is consistently contaminated with a host of agricultural and urban pesticides throughout the growing season. Christian Krupke, professor of entomology, and then-postdoctoral researcher Elizabeth Long … More Honeybees pick up ‘astonishing’ number of pesticides via non-crop plants.

U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year, highest winter losses ever recorded. Results point to a need for increased research, extension, and best management practices.

November 4, 2020

Beekeepers across the United States lost 40.7% of their honey bee colonies from April 2018 to April 2019, according to preliminary results of the latest annual nationwide survey conducted by the University of Maryland-led nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership. Honey bees pollinate $15 billion worth of food crops in the United States each year. The survey … More U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year, highest winter losses ever recorded. Results point to a need for increased research, extension, and best management practices.

Scientists find clues to queen bee failure.

September 16, 2020

Scientists at UBC are unravelling the mysteries behind a persistent problem in commercial beekeeping that is one of the leading causes of colony mortality — queen bee failure. This occurs when the queen fails to produce enough fertilized eggs to maintain the hive, and is regularly cited by the Canadian Association of Professional Apiarists as … More Scientists find clues to queen bee failure.

Bee mite arrival in Hawaii causes pathogen changes in honeybee predators.

August 28, 2020

The reddish-brown varroa mite, a parasite of honeybees and accidentally introduced in the Big Island of Hawaii in 2007-08, is about the size of a pinhead. Yet, its effects there are concerning to entomologists because the mite is found nearly everywhere honeybees are present. A team led by entomologists at the University of California, Riverside, … More Bee mite arrival in Hawaii causes pathogen changes in honeybee predators.

Environmental groups say the Ontario government is proposing to weaken the province’s restrictions on a class of agricultural pesticides that some scientific studies blame for large declines in the populations of bees and other insects.

August 20, 2020

A coalition that includes Environmental Defence and the Ontario Beekeepers Federation says proposed rule changes for neonicotinoids, or neonics for short, will make it easier for farmers to use them and harder for the government to track them. But the Ontario government, farmer organizations and pesticide manufacturers who support the changes say they would reduce … More Environmental groups say the Ontario government is proposing to weaken the province’s restrictions on a class of agricultural pesticides that some scientific studies blame for large declines in the populations of bees and other insects.

‘Because Insects Are Key to Our Own Survival,’ 73 Scientists Unveil Global Road map to Battle Bugpocalypse.

August 17, 2020

The immediate “no-regret” measures they propose include aggressively curbing planet-heating emissions and the use of synthetic pesticides. by Jessica Corbett, staff writer   Highlighting the “strong scientific consensus that the decline of insects, other arthropods, and biodiversity as a whole, is a very real and serious threat that society must urgently address,” 73 international scientists on … More ‘Because Insects Are Key to Our Own Survival,’ 73 Scientists Unveil Global Road map to Battle Bugpocalypse.