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Europe steps up for bees. EPA, your turn!

Submitted by panna
on Thu, 05/02/2013 - 00:00

In a historic vote on Monday, the European Union (EU) passed a continent-wide restriction on the use of bee-harming pesticides. Despite immense pressure from the pesticide industry, a majority of EU countries sided with bees.

Here in the U.S., policymakers have yet to step up. And with beekeepers in this country reporting record-breaking bee losses this year — up to 40% or more — action to protect honey bees is more urgent than ever.

The EU vote comes after significant findings by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) that neonicotinoid pesticides (or neonics) in particular pose an

Overwinter losses from "queen failure"

Submitted by Guest Blog
on Mon, 04/29/2013 - 00:00

This year may turn out to be the worst for honey bee die-offs ever. The news out of California is very disturbing, with fifty percent projections for overwinter losses possibly turning out to be low. The official numbers haven't yet been released.

In contrast to other years, I’ve seen a shift in symptoms of ailing bees and timing of die-offs. Also, no one seems to be talking about the specific symptoms seen during postmortem.

When we read coverage of huge bee losses, there seems to be a built-in assumption that the symptoms are consistent with those associated with colony collapse disorder

New science: "Pesticide soup" scrambles bee brain function

Submitted by panna
on Thu, 03/28/2013 - 21:02

Two new studies confirm that common pesticides are scrambling the circuits of bees’ brains. Researchers report that certain neonicotinoids and an organophosphate pesticide — particularly in combination — interfere with the insects' ability to learn, smell or remember, all critical capacities for foraging honey bees.

The new studies add to a growing body of evidence pointing to pesticides as a key driver to the dramatic losses in bee colonies reported by beekeepers.

The research, reported in the journals Nature Communications and the Journal of Experimental Biology, observed an immediate

Bees need help now! Time to up the ante.

Submitted by panna
on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 21:02

With other options exhausted over the past two years, beekeepers and partner organizations are now suing EPA to protect pollinators. We've filed over a million signatures from concerned individuals, a legal petition and a notice of intent to sue. And all to little avail. Now we're upping the ante.

There's too much at stake for EPA to stay stuck. Bees are in trouble, and they're vital to our food system and our agricultural economy. They're responsible for pollinating one in three bites of food we eat, including 95 types of fruits and nuts in North America.

Bee-harming pesticides are bad news for birds, too

Submitted by panna
on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 21:02

Turns out, the pesticides that harm bees are also harming birds. According to a report out this week, the class of widely used, systemic insecticides that science shows are a key factor in dramatic bee die-offs are also contributing to falling bird populations.

At a congressional briefing yesterday, an expert panel highlighted the damage that neonicotinoid pesticides — or "neonics" — inflict on bees, birds and the agricultural economy. Beekeepers, scientists and public interest organizations called on elected officials to take action, and soon.

Commercial beekeepers have reported that their

Bringing it home: My lost hive

Submitted by Guest Blog
on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 21:27

It was late September, and my husband and I were just getting back from a cross country trip with our two small kids. We were tired and rumpled and relieved to be home. The breeze coming off the ocean and the sight of our yard, full of nasturtiums in bloom, were a sweet antidote to the exhaustion we felt after a long travel day. As the kids ran off to enjoy their freedom, I wandered toward the back yard, absentmindedly looking toward the sky. But as I headed toward the beehive I keep under a big old oak by the creek, something seemed amiss.

Join Rodale's Honeybee Conservancy

Submitted by panna
on Wed, 02/13/2013 - 01:04

Always wanted to keep bees but just don’t have the space? Want to do something to help stop colony collapse disease? Already have a hive but want to get off the chemicals? Join the Honeybee Conservancy at Rodale Institute!

The Honeybee Conservancy at Rodale Institute was started in 2012 in response to the major health problems that have decimated the honeybee population in North America. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) still results in a 30% death rate every winter for these valuable pollinators with no answer in sight. Honey bee stewards can be one of the solutions to this problem.

The

EU steps up for bees & U.S. backtracks

Submitted by panna
on Thu, 02/07/2013 - 19:05

Last week, the European Commission announced its position against the use of bee-harming neonicotinoid insecticides, urging nations within the European Union (EU) to impose a two-year suspension on their use. Great news for bees across the pond.

But here in the U.S., policymakers aren't stepping up. EPA officials are continuing to ignore the emerging body of science that point to pesticides, and especially neonicotinoid insecticides, as a critical factor in bee declines. What's worse, the agency is poised to approve yet another bee-harming pesticide.

Beekeepers are especially frustrated.

Neonics hurt bees. Who knew?!

Submitted by Heather Pilatic
on Fri, 01/18/2013 - 00:00

Earlier this week the European Food Safety Association issued a report concluding that neonicotinoids ("neonics") pose an unacceptably high risk to bees, and that the industry-sponsored science upon which regulatory agencies' claims of safety have relied are fatally flawed.  

...which is exactly what we've been saying since 2010, when we publicized the "leaked memo" showing that EPA has allowed clothianidin (a neonicotinoid) to remain on the market despite the absence of any solid science demonstrating the chemical's safety for bees. Last spring, PAN conducted our own evaluation of the state

Beekeepers expect "worst year for bees"

Submitted by panna
on Wed, 01/16/2013 - 21:13

“We’re facing the extinction of a species.” That’s what one Midwest-based large-scale commercial beekeeper told me last week at the annual gathering of the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA). And he meant it.

Bee losses have been dramatic, especially in recent years. And beekeepers are feeling the sting. According to many who manage hives, commercial beekeeping won’t pencil out in the future unless things change, and soon.

Beekeepers from across the country gathered in San Diego to swap stories and share best practices in the trade, as well as to learn more about the latest

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