Bees vs Mites vs Pesticides
The main reason for bee colony death, it is speculated, is Varroa mite not the effects of insecticides and other pesticides on honeybees. There is no conclusive link between pesticide use and the widespread deaths of honeybee colonies. Honeybees suffer from myriad parasites, diseases and other stressors that are more commonly associated with the death of the colony. Most scientists studying honeybees would rank Varroa mites as the number-one killer of honeybees in the world. Most non-beekeeper members of the public have never heard of Varroa mites. Varroa mites are external parasites that lay eggs in the brood cells within the hive and emerge attached to the host when the bee hatches out of its cell. Varroa mites also transmit diseases to honeybees. Varroa mites reproduce rapidly and reduce the health of the colony to the point the colonies collapse. Also, colonies can be lost because of a combination of inadequate nutrition related to periods of agricultural drought, stress related to honeybee transportation and parasitism by Varroa mites. The primary method for treating Varroa mites was insecticide, mechanical methods such as drone-brood trapping or freezing, or natural methods, such as dusting colonies with powdered sugar to increase the bees’ grooming behaviors.
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