Now that spring sprang and the flowers are a bloomin’, it’s time for pollinators to stay busy keeping our ecosystems healthy. However, some locals have noticed what seems to be a decrease in local buzzing, and to that end we’ve performed some research to see what’s the latest with our fuzzy flying friends.
In 2022, beekeepers across the U.S. lost an estimated 39% of their managed colonies. Mark Burrows of Pollinator Chocolates has been a beekeeper for over a decade with a master’s degree in apiculture and reported a total loss of hives over the winter. He noted extensive difficulties related to maintaining a healthy hive — even in diagnosing hive loss.
“There’s easily 15 to 20 diseases of the hive that can take it down,” Burrows commented. “No single one typically takes down a hive, usually it’s a combination of a few things.”
A significant amount of pollinator loss worldwide is being attributed to neonicotinoids — a synthetic pesticide developed in the mid-1990s used in agriculture, lawns, golf courses and in veterinary treatments. Also known as “neonics,” the pesticide functions by attacking the nervous system of insects, overstimulating and paralyzing them. Below lethal doses, neonics can still significantly weaken an insect.
Furthermore, neonics are a systemic pesticide, meaning that they can be applied to the soil or as a coating on a seed. As the plant grows, it takes the pesticide into its system and becomes toxic to insects. According to the National Resource Defense Council, “Once in the soil, neonics remain active for years, and rain or irrigation water can easily carry them long distances to contaminate new soil, plant life and water supplies.” Furthermore, “A 2015 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found neonic pollution in more than half of the streams it sampled nationwide.”
In response, on May 17 of this year, the Colorado General Assembly signed a bill which will limit the distribution of neonics. State Bill 23-266 requires that on or before Jan. 1, 2024, the state commissioner of agriculture take action to require the designation of neonic pesticides as limited-use, so that only licensed dealers will be permitted to sell them. This makes Colorado one among several states — including Maine, California and New Jersey — that passed legislation restricting neonics.
While the European Union has restricted the use of various neonics since 2013, the U.S. has been slower to regulate, and it won’t be until 2024 that the Environmental Protection Agency potentially introduces mitigation measures based on a biological assessment released last June.
With regards to neonics, Burrows said that it’s not often worth it for beekeepers to try to identify pesticide poisoning due to the expense of testing and because if the bees are poisoned, it is difficult to pinpoint the origin of the pesticides.
Maintaining general hive health is also tough for beekeepers. Varroa mites — a common parasite among honeybees — are highly difficult to remove, and Burrows compared the intensive chemical treatment to chemotherapy. He noted that, with all these treatments and potential issues for hives, beekeeping can be a demanding practice. “The vast majority of beekeepers quit after the first two to three years because they get tired of watching their bees die.”
Additionally, the majority of statistics available on pollinator health come from beekeeping — which is the controlled support of a nonnative species. “I look at honeybees as the canary in the coal mine,” Burrows said. “Because there’s a lot more death of pollinators going on than we even know about.”
However, Burrows was hesitant to say that we’re headed toward a pollinator apocalypse. “I’d push back on the idea that honeybees are dying and we’re all gonna die… It is a thing, and it is important, and even if that message is slightly erroneous, it has pushed some people to the point of ‘Well, I’m not going to put pesticides on my lawn this year.’” Instead, Burrows argued that attention should be given to soil microbes, which are also killed by chemical products and necessary for ecosystem health.
“The bees are still dying out, but they’re very good at coming back,” Burrows concluded. His recommendation to those who are interested in supporting their struggling local pollinators is simple: “Plant local, native pollinator flowers for the local bee populations, not necessarily the honeybee population.”