It’s been three weeks since beekeepers filed a petition
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remove clothianidin —
the pesticide widely suspected to be wreaking havoc on honeybee
populations — from the market. In that time three studies have been
released that strengthen the link between bee die-offs and
neonicotinoids (neonics), the chemical family of which clothianidin is a
member. Here’s what they found:
French researchers found that honeybees exposed to the neonic pesticide thiamethoxam
had trouble finding their way back to their hives — no small problem
for a foraging species. The researchers used computer models to conclude
that the disorienting effect of chemical exposure could, under some
conditions, cause a hive’s population to decline by at least two-thirds.
