A beetle that harms honey bees has been found in Alaska, according to the Alaska Division of Agriculture. Small hive beetles eat pollen, bee eggs, larvae and pupae (bee brood), and honey inside the hive. Their activity turns the honey foul and slimy. Their presence can lead to colony loss and reduced honey production, resulting in […]
“While EPA fiddles, grave harm to bees and other pollinators continues,” said one advocacy group. After waiting nearly five years for the Environmental Protection Agency to respond to a petition calling for the closing of a regulatory loophole which has proven deadly for honey bee colonies—spelling disaster for farmers’ crops, food security, and biodiversity—two advocacy groups […]
“It’s clear evidence these chemicals can affect populations.” Image-Scientists in Saskatchewan found that consuming small amounts of neonicotinoids led white-crowned sparrows to lose significant amounts of weight and delay migration, threatening their ability to reproduce. (Photo: Jen Goellnitz/Flickr/cc) In addition to devastating effects on bee populations and the pollination needed to feed humans and other […]
The world’s most widely used weed killer may also be indirectly killing bees. New research from The University of Texas at Austin shows that honey bees exposed to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, lose some of the beneficial bacteria in their guts and are more susceptible to infection and death from harmful bacteria. Scientists […]