Recent Harvard studies have concluded that the cause of the recent decline in Honeybees is most likely attributed to commonly used insecticides. Much concern has been expressed in recent years about the apparent global decline in the number of honeybees, which are a critical component of our food supply. Some had feared that rising global temperatures attributed to global warming might have been to blame, but it seems that the cause might be much simpler than that. There appears to be a certain type of over the counter insecticide that is commonly used around homes that is the largest contributing factor.
Insecticides known as Neonicotinoids are commonly found in bug sprays that you can purchase at Home Depot, Lowes, and other retail chains. They are typically used to spray around the house to kill bugs that we do not want to enter our homes. These chemicals are also used in industrial scale applications too to rid areas of unwanted insects. The big problem is that these Neonicotinoids are indiscriminate killers, and they work really well.
Our beloved honeybees unfortunately come into contact with this deadly poison during their daily flights to gather sustenance for their hive, and they unwittingly bring it back home and poison the rest of the hive. Even the unhatched larva are affected by the deadly Neonicotinoids, giving the colony almost no chance for survival. This causes the entire bee colony to collapse, or even completely die off. Generally the use of these insecticides will cause about a 1/3 drop in the hive population annually, which has been experienced globally since about 2006.
These chemicals are not exactly new, as they have been in existence for about 30 years, but they did not see widespread use until the 1990′s when they were more commercially refined. Though the decline in the bee populations were not immediately noticeable in the 1990′s, it became later apparent after years of treatments caused a massive decline in population.
As this information has become more and more aware to the general public, there have been groups beginning to organize who wish to inform the public about their contribution to Colony Collapse Disorder. By informing the public, and by petitioning large retail chains to stop carrying the products containing the chemicals responsible for CCD, there are some who hope to reverse the damage already caused to honeybees.
Honeybee Deaths Most Likely Linked To Common Insecticides Not Global Warming.
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