U.S. beekeepers lost more than half of the managed bee colonies last year, but there is debate over the cause, with some placing blame on pesticides.
However, that blame may be misplaced.
“This is not to say that pesticides don’t have an impact on bees and can’t kill bees. They do, but the USDA does surveys every year and they find, they ask, you know, beekeepers why did your hives die? And pesticides is not zero, but it’s down on the list,” according to Todd Myers.
He says that if pesticides were the lead cause, farmers would just be shooting themselves in the foot. He notes that farmers reliant on bees are typically the most careful.
“You know, it’s farmers who are the ones who get accused of using the pesticides that kill bees, when in fact, it’s the farmers who are probably the most careful and most knowledgeable about how not to kill bees,” Myers adds. “What is killing bees, and if you talk to any beekeeper— you ask them, ‘What’s the number one thing that’s killing your bees?’ They will all give you the exact same answer and that is a mite called the varroa mite, which is an invasive mite from southeast Asia.”
Mites are considered one of the honey bees greatest threats. They inflict more damage and higher economic costs than all other diseases and pests.
Year-round sales of E-15 are another major topic on Capitol Hill, which, according to Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), is one issue up for debate this session with significant bipartisan support.
September 15, 2025 12:09 PM
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The North Carolina Farm Bureau highlights the work being done on Sound Mind Farms, a farm producing hemp to make sustainable fabrics.
September 12, 2025 11:50 AM
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Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) joined us on Champions of Rural America to share his insights on upcoming changes to public land management and how they will benefit agriculture and the Western working class.
September 11, 2025 01:21 PM
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The Interior Department is proposing to repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule. This move would make huge strides to empower local decision-making and restore balance between conservation and protecting rural livelihoods tied to these public lands.
September 10, 2025 02:45 PM
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With new renewable volume obligations announced this year, the Iowa Soybean Association says they’ll be vital to a farmer’s bottom line.
September 10, 2025 01:19 PM
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Pressure to lower gas prices across the Golden State could be the saving grace of this year’s corn harvest. California may soon be the final U.S. state to approve E-15 sales.
September 09, 2025 11:12 AM
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