4/28/2015
USDA Study Concludes Neonics NOT Driving Bee Deaths
Paul Pilon
The Department of Agriculture announced in March that honey production, which has been disrupted after CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) devastated the bee population nine years ago, is up 14% and the number of hives is up 4%, increasing the two previous years before that. The total number of beehives today is higher than it was in 1995, when neonics first came on the market.
This article acknowledges that “many past researchers often based their experiments on extremely high amounts of pesticides—far more than a bee would normally encounter in its life.”
Another topic covered is the real-world impact of banning neonics; the ban of neonics in Europe has actually led to increased bee deaths.
To read the full article, go to
http://geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/03/usda-study-concludes-neonics-not-driving-bee-deaths-as-white-house-set-to-announce-bee-revival-plan/.
The Horticultural Research Institute, AmericanHort, Society of American Florists and the American Floral Endowment just released an educational video that provides information on our industry’s role in bee and pollinator stewardship. This eight-minute video titled, “Protecting Bees & Pollinators: What Horticulture Needs to Know” covers the factors affecting bee and pollinator health, and emphasizes the role horticulture plays in providing healthy pollinator ecosystems.
To learn more about our industry’s Bee & Pollinator Stewardship Initiative and to watch the video, visit
americanhort.org.
GT