The Crisis of Beekeeping

Dec 30, 20242 min read

A few weeks ago I had the chance to attend a beekeeping conference. During this conference, I learned so much about bees and the work that beekeepers do. The most interesting part for me was learning how beekeepers must constantly fight to keep their bees alive. You would think, because bees are such an important part of our ecosystem, that they would be better protected, along with the people who care for them. It however is the opposite and the safety of bees is overlookedin almost every decision that the government makes for the "good" of our planet.

In the US about 1 billion pounds of commercial pesticides are used annually in agriculture. Insecticides and pesticides have significant negative impacts on bees, affecting both individual bees and entire colonies across multiple generations.These chemicals can disrupt learning and memory in honey bees, reduce fertility, and cause sluggishness in adult bees. Pesticide exposure can occur through direct contact, residues on plants, or consumption of contaminated pollen and nectar. Studies have shown that bees exposed to pesticides as both larvae and adults had 44% fewer offspring, while those exposed over two generations experienced a 72% lower population growth rate. Even a single pesticide application can have lasting effects, requiring multiple generations for bees to recover. The widespread use of pesticides in agricultural landscapes has led to the contamination of bee products, including honey, royal jelly, and pollen, further exacerbating the negative impacts on bee health and survival.

Beekeepers have been actively engaged in a contentious battle with government agencies over the use of pesticides and insecticides, particularly those believed to harm bee populations. This conflict has been especially prominent in the United States, where beekeepers have challenged regulatory decisions that allow the continued use of certain chemicals. For instance, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reversed a ban on a pesticide considered harmful to bees, it faced strong opposition from the beekeeping community. Beekeepers and environmental advocates have consistently disputed research that downplays the toxicity of these chemicals to bees, arguing for stricter regulations. The controversy has led to ongoing debates about the adequacy of current ecological risk assessments, with some studies suggesting that these assessments significantly underestimate the threats pesticides pose to wild bees and other pollinators. As a result, beekeepers have been pushing for more comprehensive studies, better pest control strategies, and regulatory changes to protect both managed honey bee colonies and wild bee populations.

To learn more about ways you can protect bees click this LINK.