Now scientists have proved that honeybees, too, can add and subtract. “Our findings suggest that advanced numerical cognition may be found much more widely in nature among non-human animals than previously suspected,” concludes Adrian Dyer, who led an RMIT University team in a new study on numerical cognition in bees (Sci.
by Marc S. Reisch | February 17, 2019
“At a time when honeybees and other pollinators are dying in greater numbers than ever before, Trump’s EPA decision to remove restrictions on yet another bee-killing pesticide is nothing short of reckless,” Greg Loarie, attorney for the environmental group Earthjustice, says in a statement. “Letting sulfoxaflor back on the market is dangerous for our food system, economy, and environment.” Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced that it was temporarily defunding the annual survey of honeybees in the US conducted by the Department of Agriculture. The EPA has not said how it will monitor the impacts of sulfoxaflor on honeybees without the survey data. /environment/pesticides/Sulfoxaflor-pesticide-returns-US-market/97/i29 20190718 The EPA allows new and former uses on many crops without restrictions Concentrates 97 29 /magazine/97/09729.html Sulfoxaflor pesticide returns to the US market govpol Britt Erickson environment pesticides policy chemical-regulation Sulfoxaflor returns to the US market Chemical & Engineering News Sulfoxaflor pesticide returns to the US market Sulfoxaflor pesticide returns to the US market
by Britt Erickson | July 18, 2019
Honeybees. Yes, that’s right: Those black-and-yellow insects with the fuzzy torsos can do more than just seek out nectar. As part of the Stealthy Insect Sensor Project, researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have trained bees to stick out their tongues when their antennae detect certain chemicals.
by Jyllian Kemsley | November 05, 2012
Goals of the plan are to reduce honeybee losses to economically sustainable levels by 2025, increase the number of monarch butterflies to 225 million by 2020, and restore 7 million acres of pollinator habitat in the next five years through federal action and public-private partnerships. The White House also released a research plan for better understanding pollinator declines and improving pollinator health. Beekeepers reported losses of about 40% of honeybee colonies last year, and the number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico has declined by 90% the past 20 years. Environmental groups criticize the strategy for not banning neonicotinoid pesticides. Use of these chemicals is one of several factors, including parasitic mites and habitat loss, that are linked to bee declines.
by Britt E. Erickson | May 25, 2015
—Neonicotinoids slammed in European report “” The path forward for the use of neonicotinoid insecticides in Europe grew foggy last week after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released an updated assessment concluding that use of the chemicals carries high risk to honeybees, wild bees, and bumblebees.
by Melody M. Bomgardner | March 05, 2018
Advisers Advocate For Neonicotinoid Ban “” The U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs should ban the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides—imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam—by 2014 because of their potential to harm honeybees and other insect pollinators, an advisory committee of the U.K.’s Parliament concludes in a report released on April 5.
by Britt E. Erickson | April 15, 2013
—Pesticides Harm Hive Behavior “Entomology: New studies strengthen connection between neonicotinoids and bee colony collapse” Exposure to two common pesticides can interfere with the growth and viability of both honeybee and bumblebee hives, researchers have found. The exposure, they say, may therefore contribute to the devastating loss of bee populations known as colony collapse disorder (CCD).
by Elizabeth K. Wilson | April 02, 2012
Markey (D-Mass.) and nine other senators are urging EPA to act quickly to address the risks of neonicotinoid pesticides on honeybees and other pollinators. In a Nov. 21 letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the lawmakers raise concerns about sublethal effects of the pesticides on bees, including impacts on navigation, behavior, reproduction, and disease resistance.
by Britt E. Erickson | December 01, 2014
He published a widely viewed paper last year that linked sublethal pesticide exposure and pathogens to negative impacts on honeybee colonies (PLoS One 2013, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070182). Environmental activists speculate that Pettis was forced to step down because of pressure on USDA from pesticide manufacturers.
by Britt E. Erickson | July 14, 2014
—Europe To Ban Fipronil Pesticide To Protect Bees “” The European Union will move ahead with a proposal to restrict the pesticide fipronil in Europe because of concerns that the chemical is harming honeybees. During a committee meeting last week, 23 EU member countries voted in favor of the restrictions, two voted against them, and three abstained.
by Britt E. Erickson | July 22, 2013