US honeybees threatened as 31% of colonies died out in 2012, report shows

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) Nearly a third of managed honeybee colonies in America died out or disappeared over the winter, an annual survey found on Wednesday. The decline – which was far worse than the winter before – threatens the survival of some bee colonies.

The heavy losses of pollinators also threatens the country's food supply, researchers said. The US Department of Agriculture has estimated that honeybees contribute some $20bn to the economy every year.

Bee keepers lost 31% of their colonies in late 2012 and through the early months of this year – about double what they might expect through natural causes, survey found. The survey offered the latest evidence of a mysterious disorder that has been destroying bee colonies for seven years. The strange phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder came to light in 2006, when the first reports came in of bees abandoning their hives and disappearing.

In a report last week, the federal government blamed a combination of factors for the rapid decline of honeybees, including a parasitic mite, viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition and genetics, as well as the effects of pesticides. But scientists and campaign groups have singled out the use of a widely used class of pesticides, which scramble the honeybees' sense of navigation. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/08/honey-bees-threatened-colonies-extinct-2012

[AverageJoe90]

1. I'm not concerned about bee extinction, TBH, but.....

Something DOES need to be done, and it looks like we may need to stop using certain pesticides.....though, unfortunately, certain companies will make it very hard for us to take action, it seems.