Pesticides could be the cause of honeybee plight

A new film blames pesticides for weakening bees and causing colony collapse. Vanishing of the Bees will be released next month in the UK and will blame neonicotinoid pesticides for damaging honey bees and making them more susceptible to other pests and diseases.

The dramatic decline in honeybee populations in Europe and the US which began in 2004 has baffled scientists and no single cause has been found to explain this problem. Independent film-makers George Langworthy and Maryam Henein, suggests that long-term, low-level exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides may be having a sub-lethal but debilitating effect on honey bees.

The film targets Bayer, the fourth largest pharmaceutical company which rejects allegations that it’s products harm bees. “Everybody knows this is about the varroa mite, the nosema pest and a number of fungal and viral diseases,” said Dr Julian Little, a UK spokesman for Bayer CropScience.

“The healthiest bees in the world are in Australia, where they have lots of neonicotinoids but they don’t have varroa. If you look at a country where they have restricted the use of neonicotinoids, France, they have a worse bee problem there than they do in the UK,” Dr Little added.

The British Beekeepers’ Association said they are unable to say if neonicotinoids were behind honey bee declines as all evidence has so far been inconclusive. Read more.