U.S. Bee Colonies Continue to Decline as Pests, Chemicals Blamed

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) U.S. honeybee numbers continue to drop, according to two new studies, with scientists blaming mite infestations while the pace of the phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder accelerated in the first quarter.

The number of commercial U.S. honeybee colonies declined 8.1 percent to 2.59 million in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first-ever honeybee health survey released Thursday. Beekeepers needed to replace 44 percent of all their hives last year to maintain insects pollinating almonds, apples and other key crops, according to a separate study published May 10 by a group of researchers.

Honeybees pollinate about $15 billion worth of crops annually, according to the USDA. Environmental groups have expressed alarm over the 90 percent decline during the past two decades in the population of pollinators, from wild bees to Monarch butterflies. Some point to a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids as a possible cause, a link rejected by Bayer AG and other manufacturers. ..................(more)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-13/u-s-bee-colonies-continue-to-decline-as-pests-chemicals-blamed

[bkkyosemite]

1. I have these bushes out in front of my place. They get these white stalks of blooms

Every year they are full of bees. Hardly seen any bees this year and the blossoms are gone now. No bees