{"id":13155,"date":"2014-04-25T00:01:55","date_gmt":"2014-04-25T04:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=13155"},"modified":"2014-04-25T10:34:00","modified_gmt":"2014-04-25T14:34:00","slug":"multiple-accounts-of-honey-bee-death-and-damage-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2014\/04\/multiple-accounts-of-honey-bee-death-and-damage-continue\/","title":{"rendered":"Multiple Accounts of Honey Bee Death and Damage Continue"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, April 24, 2014) Reports of honey bee deaths have been emerging around the nation: from bee deaths in California\u2019s almond<\/a> groves and \u201d\u02dcmysterious\u2019 road-side bee deaths in Oregon<\/a>, to astronomical overwintering losses in Ohio<\/a>. The reports are intensifying the ecological crises of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) \u201d\u201da phenomenon \"dead<\/a>typified by the mass abandonment of hives and bee die-off. CCD poses significant issues for many agricultural crops, such as almonds, apples, cherries and blueberries, that are almost completely reliant on honey bees for their pollination services.<\/p>\n

In California, a total of 80,000 dead or damaged bee hives were reported after pollinating almond trees in the San Joaquin Valley, a region that is known for its agricultural productivity. Beekeepers have pointed to pesticides as the primary culprit. Almond pollination in California requires an army of 1,300 commercial beekeepers from around the nation. However, this year beekeepers have seen higher damages to hives than usual.<\/p>\n

Damage to the honey bee hives this spring has been so pronounced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) convened an impromptu meeting with beekeepers in Los Banos, California. The meeting brought together 75 beekeepers who testified that 75 percent of their hives showed severe damage following almond pollination. Beekeepers pointed to \u201d\u02dctank mixing\u2019 of several insecticides, which are toxic by themselves and even more so in combination. Almond farmers often use clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam<\/a> \u00a0\u201d\u201dchemicals that have been banned in the European Union (EU)<\/a> due to an unreasonably high-risk to honey bees\u201d\u201d as well as tolfenpyrad and cyantraniliprole, products that just recently came on the market after EPA registration<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beekeeper Gene Brandi of Los Banos told The Sacramento Bee<\/em> that pesticides used do not have explicit label warnings about their possible effects on bees. Although EPA assessed their toxicity for adult bees, and found them to be nontoxic, \u201cNonetheless, these chemicals affect the bee colony by affecting the brood,\u201d Mr. Brandi said. \u201cThe damaged hives are a significant number, and enough to cause alarm.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Oregon, officials are now investigating the death of thousands of honeybees along a highway running southwest of Portland. Bruce Pokarney of the Oregon Department of Agriculture estimated that the swarm of bees could have ranged in number from one to 10,000. Officials told Reuters <\/em>that \u00a0they are currently working under the assumption that the bees swarmed while attempting to cross the road and ended up as roadkill, however samples have been sent to Oregon State University to check for possible disease or so-called \u201cother issues,\u201d such as pesticides. The die-off marks the second in Oregon this year, after 50,000 bumblebees were found dead<\/a> in a parking lot in Wilsonville after feeding on a linden tree doused with the bee-killing pesticide dinotefuran.<\/p>\n

Across the U.S., Ohioan beekeepers have just reported overwintering losses between 50 and 80 percent, according the The Columbus Dispatch<\/em>, which come on top of 30 to 60 percent die-offs the previous year. “It’s a pretty devastating loss,” said Ohio beekeeper Barry Conrad, who maintains 76 hives. “It’s been getting worse each year.” The winter was an unusually harsh one, however, beekeepers including Mr. Conrad have pointed to pesticides as the key issue.<\/p>\n

Every year the Bee Informed Partnership, in collaboration with the Apiary Inspectors of America and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides a national survey of honey bee winter losses (see 2012-2013 losses<\/a>). When the \u00a0survey is released in \u00a0May, we should see whether these reported events are demonstrating nationwide trends.<\/p>\n

BEE Protective
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Earth Day 2013, Beyond Pesticides and Center for Food Safety \u00a0joined forces to launch the BEE Protective Campaign<\/a>, <\/strong>with the goal of \u00a0protecting honey bees and other pollinators from pesticides.The BEE Protective Campaign gives you the tools to help honey bees and other pollinators right in your own community. Here are some ways to take action:<\/p>\n