Honey tests show global neonic contamination
Seventy-five percent of honey samples taken from around the world contained traces of neonicotinoids — a class of insecticides harmful to honeybees, says a study published in the journal Science.
Trump’s EPA-transition pick wants to deregulate pesticides
The head of Donald Trump’s EPA transition team, Myron Ebell, is not only a climate-change skeptic. He also has a history of discouraging pesticide regulations, writes Tom Philpott at Mother Jones, pointing to Ebell's role as the director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI).
Varroa mite count suggests hard winter for bees
An evaluation of bee hives found a dangerously high level of Varroa mites, a honeybee pest that is blamed in part for calamitous declines in the bee population, says Agri-Pulse, citing a blog by a Bayer scientist.
Microsensors on 10,000 honeybees may help solve colony-collapse conundrum
Australian researchers have attached tiny microsensors to about 10,000 healthy honeybees to try to learn the cause of the global decline in bee populations, says the Christian Science Monitor.
Innovation may be key for honey bees and beekeepers
Along with massive loss of honeybee colonies, the number of professional beekeepers is falling, says the Washington Post, although the number of managed bee colonies is on the rise.
High annual honey loss rate – four of every 10 colonies
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Nearly four of every 10 colonies of honey bees die annually, a markedly high rate, according to surveys of beekeepers designed to gauge the welfare of a prominent species for plant pollination. Losses have averaged 37 percent over the past five years.
Neonicotinoid not the sole villain in honeybee losses
A widely used insecticide, the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, "does not significantly harm honey bee colonies at real-world doses," contrary to concerns that neonics, as they are called, are to blame for population declines, says a University of Maryland study.
USDA outlines quarterly and annual bee-loss surveys
Some 23,300 bee keepers nationwide would be contacted about honeybee mortality under a pair of surveys proposed by the Agriculture Department.