Bees help to pollinate 90% of the world's major food crops. Swiss researchers sample 198 types of honey from around the world and found traces of pesticides in 75% of the samples. The pesticides act as nerve agents on bees.
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The concentrations of pesticides are considered to be too small to be a harm to humans.
The researchers also found that 34% of the honey samples contained concentrations of neonicotinoids which are known to be detrimental to bees.
2 minute video published 5 October 2017 by Science Magazine
The recorded pesticide levels (up to 56 nanograms per gram) are within the bioactive range that has been shown to affect both bee behavior and a colony's health. Pesticides levels of just 9 nanograms per gram have been shown to reduce reproductive success in wild bees. Researchers have been looking into bee colonies dying off in recent years and pesticides could certainly be a contributing factor to the colony collapse disorder.
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The highest frequency of contamination were found in North American honey samples (86%), followed by Asia (80%) and Europe (79%).
Felix Wackers, a professor at Lancaster University, thinks that the bees exposure to harmful pesticides may be far higher than what the Swiss researchers measured in the honey samples.
Sources and Full Articles
Bee-harming pesticides in 75 percent of honey worldwide: study, Phys.org, 5 October 2017
Not so sweet: 75 percent of honey samples had key pesticide, Associated Press, 5 October 2017
Thank You!
Thank you!
bees contaminated by pesticides may reduce their populations because bees are poisoned and die. a disaster for us.
Yes, the loss of pollinating bees could be the start of a global famine.
Steem on,
Mike
Isn't the Varroa mite even more detrimental to bee colonies?
In my perception this has been the main global threat to bees recently, although pesticides certainly are not desirable either.
I agree that mites are a problem. It is entirely possible and plausible that both mites and pesticides contribute to bee colony collapse.
Have a great weekend!
Steem on,
Mike
Nice post ☺ followed and upvote you...hope so you will do same for me
Thanks for the info, be well.
Don't forget chloramphenicol.
wah I just found out that honey bees have started to be contaminated with pesticides. thanks for the information
This is magnificent! @etcmike
Actually, considering getting one of those Modern Bee Hives! It will automatically harvet Honey for you without the need to manually harvesting it from the Bee's! Could be a good idea to have a Bee Farm in the quiet Country Side! Good for the World and also the potential to enjoy or profit from selling Honey
very informative..