Scientists say agriculture is good for honey bees
May 2, 2017
Editor’s Note: The study, “Agricultural Landscape and Pesticide Effects on Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Biological Traits,” by Alburaki M1, Steckel SJ1, Williams MT1, Skinner JA2, Tarpy DR3, Meikle WG4, Adamczyk J5, Stewart SD1 is available here.
From: Phys.org
While recent media reports have condemned a commonly used agricultural pesticide as detrimental to honey bee health, scientists with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have found that the overall health of honey bee hives actually improves in the presence of agricultural production.
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“We train agricultural producers on careful selection and conscientious application of pesticides to reduce bee exposure,” says Scott Stewart, Integrated Pest Management Specialist with UT Extension, “but it’s becoming more clear that the influences of varroa mite and food availability are more important factors in honey bee health than agricultural pesticides.”
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