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2024-11-11

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US honeybee deaths hit record high as scientists scramble to find main cause (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Summary

US honeybee deaths hit a record high, with beekeepers losing over 60% of colonies this winter.

The crisis threatens pollination of key crops and has led to financial ruin for many beekeepers. Scientists cite climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, varroa mites, and poor handling as potential causes.

The USDA is investigating the latest losses, but Trump-era staff cuts have slowed research, prompting Cornell University to assist.

Despite increased colony numbers from rising beekeeper interest, loss rates continue to surge, endangering agriculture and ecosystems.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (7 children)

FYI: Honey bees are an invasive species everywhere but Eurasia and Africa

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

"Invasive" and "not native" are not interchangeable. Honeybees are not native to North America, but they are not an invasive species.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Also, most of our staple crops aren't native and we need the bees to pollinate most of them.

You don't need bees for wheat, corn, rice or potatoes, but just about any fruit require them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Tell that to all of our native bee species that have lost habitat and resources to the highly aggressive Africanized honeybees taking over our ecosystem. They are, in fact, invasive.

But I also believe that pesticides are not the answer. There are ways of managing bee activity and the company I work for is actively engaged in developing new, pesticide-free bee and wasp control systems. I hope they will be used much more than pesticides in the future.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Well if you change the topic to Africanized honey bees, yeah. They are invasive. The bees that people keep are not.

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