NBC News reports that the product recently approved by the EPA is intended to help. It’s to help stem the decline of the bees in the U.S.
Sept. 16, 2019, 5:12 AM
By Lucy Sherriff: An organic pesticide recently approved by the EPA is intending to help ease the decline of the bee population in the U.S.A. According to NBC News it will be delivered in a novel way. It’s to be delivered by bees themselves. Consequently as they alight on field and flower.
Most noteworthy, the fungicide Clonostachys rosea CR-7 recently approved by the EPA is also known as Vectorite. It was created by Bee Vectoring Technologies in Canada for use on “high value” crops. Crops such as strawberries, blueberries, almonds and sunflowers and is set to be rolled out this fall.
In conclusion, beekeepers in the U.S. have reported a nearly 41 percent loss of their honey production from the past year. In addition and with winter losses the highest ever recorded. Finally, some crops, including blueberries and cherries, are 90 percent dependent on honey bee pollination. As well, other bee-dependent crops range from carrots and tomatoes to onions and broccoli.
Also as I wrote before:
You don’t need to be reminded about just how important bees are to our world. They are primary pollinators of many of the foods we eat day to day, including almonds, watermelon and oranges, pollinators of 90% of the world’s wild plants, and they contribute to the €265bn economic benefit of pollination.
Also it’s safe to say life would be pretty different without bees. More importantly our world wouldn’t be as amazing as it is.
That’s because these bees are in danger. You may have heard that bees are in decline, with over 40 percent of U.S honeybee hives dying off each year, which is costing the farming and beekeeping industry more than €2bn a year.
There are a few reasons why bee numbers are falling. First off is the destruction of habitat and increase in disease. However one of the major reasons is a type of pesticide called neonicotinoids; or neonics for short.
What are neonics?
Neonics are a group of systemic pesticides. I’m meaning they’re absorbed by all parts of the plant. That’s including pollen and nectar collected by bees. They’re used in soil drench, seed coating and sprayed onto crop foliage. All consequently to deter pests and they’re pretty good at doing it. However, they’re also very harmful to bees.
How do neonics harm bees?
When neonics get into bees’ systems they affect several parts of their body and behavior. The pesticides hinder their foraging behavior. As well as having a detrimental effect on homing ability, memory, breeding, communication, and their immune system. Because more often than not leading to paralysis and death.
Some will tell you that there is not enough research to conclusively prove that neonics are responsible for bee deaths. However the evidence is mounting quite considerably.
Finally and more important, it’s largely accepted that neonics are certainly not health for our bees.
