Category: Colony Collapse Disorder

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

August 14, 2020

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 “collapse of nature’s ecosystems.” Currently, 40 percent of wild bees and other … More The numbers are in: Beekeepers faced their second highest losses in 14 years this past year.

BREAKING NEWS: This year’s bee die-off numbers were just reported.

June 26, 2020

They show beekeepers lost 44 percent of their colonies. This makes 2019 the second-worst year for bees since the surveys started almost 15 years ago.   Bees pollinate 75% of our food crops. With their populations rapidly declining — largely thanks to toxic pesticides — we need all hands on deck to protect them and other … More BREAKING NEWS: This year’s bee die-off numbers were just reported.

Insecticides are becoming more toxic to honey bees.

April 11, 2020

During the past 20 years, insecticides applied to U.S. agricultural landscapes have become significantly more toxic — over 120-fold in some mid-western states — to honey bees when ingested, according to a team of researchers, who identified rising neonicotinoid seed treatments in corn and soy as the primary driver of this change. The study is … More Insecticides are becoming more toxic to honey bees.

U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year, highest winter losses ever recorded.

April 8, 2020

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

Insects in decline: On farmland, latecomers lose out.

April 5, 2020

Wild bees in Europe are in trouble — more than 50 percent of local species are now classified as endangered. Recent findings indicate that, in farming areas, species that emerge in late summer are most acutely threatened. The pollination services provided by wild bees are indispensable, not only for ecological but also for eminently economic … More Insects in decline: On farmland, latecomers lose out.

Pesticides deliver a one-two punch to honey bees.

March 25, 2020

Adjuvants not as benign as previously thought A new article reveals that adjuvants, chemicals commonly added to pesticides, amplify toxicity affecting mortality rates, flight intensity, colony intensity, and pupae development in honey bees. Adjuvants are chemicals that are commonly added to plant protection products, such as pesticides, to help them spread, adhere to targets, disperse … More Pesticides deliver a one-two punch to honey bees.

Fungus provides powerful medicine in fighting honey bee viruses.

March 22, 2020

Mycelium extract reduces viruses in honey bees A mushroom extract fed to honey bees greatly reduces virus levels, according to a new paper from Washington State University scientists, the USDA and colleagues at Fungi Perfecti, a business based in Olympia, Washington. In field trials, colonies fed mycelium extract from amadou and reishi fungi showed a … More Fungus provides powerful medicine in fighting honey bee viruses.

Study shows EU pesticide ban failing to protect suburban bees.

February 3, 2020

Bees living in suburban habitats are still being exposed to significant levels of pesticides despite the EU ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on flowering crops, new research from University of Sussex scientists shows. While the introduction of new EU restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid chemicals five years ago has reduced exposure of … More Study shows EU pesticide ban failing to protect suburban bees.

Genomes of parasitic mites harming the world’s bees.

December 5, 2019

Honey bee colony collapse has devastating consequences for the environment, the global economy, and food security worldwide. The culprits behind some of the destruction — parasitic Varroa mites — are just a couple of millimeters in size, and they infiltrate colonies and infect bees with viruses. Yet surprisingly little is known about the mite’s biology. Researchers from … More Genomes of parasitic mites harming the world’s bees.