colony collapse disorder

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Scientists: We've Been Giving Bees Birth Control

Neonicotinoids come with 'lethal and sub-lethal' side effects

(Newser) - Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for bees , a new study suggests we've been inadvertently feeding them birth control. Previous research has shown the world's most widely used pesticides, neonicotinoids, have hurt the lifespan and reproduction of honeybee queens and reduced the number of bumblebee...

Bee Die-Off Goes From Bad to Worse

Beekeepers lost 42% of colonies over 12-month period: survey

(Newser) - The honeybee die-off appears to have taken a turn for the worse to the chagrin of beekeepers. An annual survey finds beekeepers lost 42% of their colonies from April 2014 to the same month this year—the second-worst period for bees since surveys started in 2010. The previous 12-month period...

No. 1 Pesticide Killing Honeybees
 No. 1 Pesticide 
 Killing Honeybees
study says
May 10, 2014 9:40 AM CDT

No. 1 Pesticide Killing Honeybees

Harvard study finds more evidence that chemicals are behind colony collapse disorder

(Newser) - A new Harvard study adds more evidence to the theory that insecticides are the main culprit in the disappearance of honeybees , reports the Christian Science Monitor . Researchers found that bees in Massachusetts exposed to a common class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids suffered significant drops in numbers over the winter...

Bee Die-Offs Tied to Tobacco Plant 'STD'
 Bee Die-Offs Tied to 
 Tobacco Plant 'STD' 
study says
Jan 22, 2014 8:13 AM CST

Bee Die-Offs Tied to Tobacco Plant 'STD'

Tobacco ringspot virus jumped from tobacco to soy to bees: study

(Newser) - Honeybees have been dying in huge numbers since 2006, and a new study finds that a virus may be one cause. The tobacco ringspot virus has mutated quickly and jumped from tobacco plants to soy plants to bees, researchers say, and the annual increase in honeybee deaths between autumn and...

Honeybee Deaths Spike Again
 Honeybee Deaths Spike Again 
Mar 29, 2013 12:28 PM CDT

Honeybee Deaths Spike Again

Beekeepers say problem got much worse in 2012

(Newser) - Headlines about honeybees dying off may seem to have tapered off, but that doesn't mean the problem has gone away. In fact, it appears to have gotten "drastically" worse in the last year, reports the New York Times . Commercial beekeepers say 40% to 50% of their already diminished...

Honeybee Killer Finally Found
 Honeybee Killer Finally Found 
Oct 7, 2010 7:30 AM CDT

Honeybee Killer Finally Found

Colonies collapsing due to fungus-virus combination

(Newser) - For years, experts have been trying to figure out what is killing all the honeybees—and they may finally have an answer. Since 2006, 20% to 40% of US bee colonies have collapsed, and suspected causes have included genetically modified corn , pesticides , and bad weather . New research, however, points to...

Bayer Knew Pesticide Killed Bees, Critics Charge

(Newser) - A German prosecutor is investigating allegations that chemical giant Bayer CropScience knowingly sold a pesticide that kills honeybees, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. The investigation follows complaints from German beekeepers and environmentalists that the company covered up incriminating data on chlothianidine. In the US, meanwhile, an environmental group sued...

Beekeeping Hobbyists Spark Swarm of Controversy

Towns across US limit the pastime

(Newser) - Beekeeping is causing an unwanted buzz in some American towns as amateurs raise colonies for the love of it. As honeybees disappear from commercial hives, the ranks of hobbyist beekeepers have risen to some 100,000, reports the Wall Street Journal. Amid concerns the bees could zoom amok, some communities...

Bee Die-Off Threatens Dinner, Dessert

Colony collapse means trouble for fruits, nuts—and ice cream

(Newser) - The ongoing mystery of the diminishing honeybee population is threatening an important part of the American diet: ice cream. Bee colonies have been disappearing at a rapid rate, potentially causing problems with supplies of vegetables as well as fruit and nuts, which Haagen Dazs says may keep it from offering...

Fungus Could Be Culprit in Death of Bees

First clue to the malady that's wiped out a quarter of US colonies

(Newser) - Finally, a lead in the mysterious honeybee crisis that's had scientists and keepers buzzing for months. A fungus called nosema ceranae is showing up frequently in colonies that have suffered heavy losses, giving scientists hope of controlling what they call "colony collapse disorder," the Los Angeles Times reports....

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