Source: GENETIC LITERACY PROJECT, 10/12/18



Are bee populations around the world in decline? Are pesticides–particularly the class known as neonicotinoids–a major contributor to health problems in honey bees, bumble bees, and wild bees? How can we best make sense of the dozens of sometimes confusing and conflicting studies on the global bee population? Most entomologists and other bee experts believe that the gold standard for assessing bee health issues is the field hive study. Field studies of honey bees and bumble bees foraging in neonic pesticide-treated crops, supplemented by other available forage, give the most realistic insight into the possible effects of these pesticides on the hive.

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