• Ask Mark
    • Search the Library
    • Mark’s Blog
    • eNewsletter / Subscribe
    • Books
    • Links
  • Cullen’s Foods
  • Trees For Life
  • Events
    • Gardening Communities
  • About Mark
    • Mark and Ben’s Bio
    • Book Mark as a Speaker
    • Mark in the Media
    • Contact Us
August 7, 2013

The North American Bee Decline: Solved?

The state of our honeybees, the most notorious pollinators in the western world, has been shaky for the last few years. Their noticeable decline by farmers and homeowners alike has sparked a fair bit of interest in the scientific community and it has been puzzling researchers for quite some time. A new study has something new to bring to the table.

When the bees started dying, beekeepers noticed piles of dead bees in their hives: it seemed they didn’t survive the winter, despite conditions being similar to previous years. If the beekeepers weren’t seeing dead bees, they were seeing empty hives. The bees never returned home.

Pesticides were blamed primarily for this loss but as the pesticide companies caught wind of this, more studies were done with an interesting outcome: a parasite was invading and destroying the bees.

We had two very different possibilities for the serious decline in bees and with all of the information coming out all at once, it was difficult to follow it but also difficult to sift through the legitimacy of the articles.

This new study though, explains a new hypothesis: certain fungicides and miticides have the ability to lower a bee’s immune system thereby exposing it to deadly parasites.

This combination of ideas is ground-breaking and could change the way farmers use chemicals on their fields. No farmer wants to spray something that will wipe out the very livelihood of their field. They’re losing the bees and they’re losing their crops. A lose-lose situation.

There have never been warnings on fungicides and miticides because their chemical make-up does not affect an insect’s system the same way that a pesticide does. This study could see warning labels and application processes changed.

The article is worth a read, even if you just skim and focus on the discussion section. Check it out in its entirety here.

blog_honeybee

← Previous post
The Low-Down on Downy Mildew

Next post →
Attracting Bees to Your Garden

Search

Recent Posts

  • Signs of Spring March 27, 2021
  • Around the Acres This Week February 2, 2021
  • Around the Acres This Week January 11, 2021
  • Around the Acres This Week December 9, 2020

Mark’s Blog by Month

Ask Mark

  • eNewsletter
  • Radio/Podcast
  • Magazine article
  • Newspaper column
  • TV

Recent Tweets

Mark Cullen Follow

Best selling Canadian gardening author as seen on TV, radio, online and print.

MarkCullen4
2 Mar

Was a pleasure visiting with our #tree loving friends @TonyDiGiovanni1 and @MarkCullen4 today @vinelandrsrch!

Reply on Twitter 1631375315615318018 Retweet on Twitter 1631375315615318018 1 Like on Twitter 1631375315615318018 10 Twitter 1631375315615318018
19 Feb

Increase biodiversity in your yard with these tips from Mark and Ben Cullen. @MarkCullen4

http://ow.ly/u2sE50MVwTA

Reply on Twitter 1627294471200116736 Retweet on Twitter 1627294471200116736 1 Like on Twitter 1627294471200116736 4 Twitter 1627294471200116736
10 Feb

Excited to meet with Mark Cullen and Tony DiGiovanni today to learn more about the Trees for Life Program and how Less Mess can help!

Reply on Twitter 1624161096243240976 Retweet on Twitter 1624161096243240976 4 Like on Twitter 1624161096243240976 6 Twitter 1624161096243240976
12 Jan

This was a great way to start the new year. Congratulations, Landscape Ontario, on this milestone! Thanks to all who made it happen. We’re looking forward to the next one.

#TreesForLife #Congress #LOCongress #ClimateAction #GoGreen #HOHTC

Reply on Twitter 1613670790612017153 Retweet on Twitter 1613670790612017153 5 Like on Twitter 1613670790612017153 5 Twitter 1613670790612017153

Comments are closed.

About Mark and Ben


Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author & broadcaster and holds the Order of Canada. His son Ben is a fourth-generation urban gardener and graduate of Guelph and Dalhousie University.
More

Find Mark On

Sponsored Links

Highway of Heroes cullensfoods Share Agriculture Foundation Harrowsmith
© Mark Cullen. Go to top ↑