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.
As the USDA tracks how Plant Hardiness Zones are slowly shifting across the country, they are also adjusting their recommendations for gardeners when it comes to perennial plants. The data is also used the by Risk Management Agency to determine crop insurance rates.
November 28, 2023 02:28 PM
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The State of Louisiana is known as a major wintering location for North American waterfowl. However, a new visitor — a species of Whistling Ducks hailing from South America — may pose a problem to native species.
November 09, 2023 01:52 PM
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Shaun Haney, host of Rural Radio Channel 147’s Real Ag Radio, joined us Friday on Market Day Report with an update on the important vote involving the use of ag machinery in Canada.
November 03, 2023 02:14 PM
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Many turn to the online resale market when economic times are uncertain, buying items for cheaper prices or selling quality items for extra money. Reselling secondhand items is also an efficient way to declutter and get some cash back for valuable items you no longer need.
October 13, 2023 04:57 PM
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Researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute found human sewage, not fertilizer, is mainly responsible for dangerous nitrogen levels in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon.
A new
study from the University of California shows E-15 provides more emissions reductions compared to other blends of gasoline on the market.
