Are Neonics Dangerous To Bees?

Taylor TruckeyBayer CropScience, Bees, environment, Honeybees, Insecticide

Dana Sargent, Vice President, North American Regulatory Affairs for Bayer, wrote an open letter on the Bayer CropScience blog penning a response to U.S. and Canadian government regulation regarding imidacloprid. Here’s a portion of Sargent’s letter: As a mom and someone responsible for feeding my family, I know the importance of having ready access to safe and nutritious food. As … Read More

Feed A Bee Plants Over 65M Flowers In 2015

Taylor TruckeyBayer CropScience, Bees, environment, Food, Fruit, Honeybees

Bayer’s Feed A Bee campaign successfully planted over 65 million flowers in 2015 thanks to the support and contributions of consumers and industry partners. More than 250,000 consumers joined the initiative to feed pollinators as the Feed a Bee website and #FeedABee hashtag went viral. By the end of the year, more than 70 organizations joined the fight pledging thousands … Read More

EPA Releases Risk Assessments for Insecticides

Taylor TruckeyBayer CropScience, environment, EPA, Honeybees, Insecticide

Today the EPA announced a preliminary pollinator risk assessment for the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, which, according to the assessment, is a threat to some pollinators. EPA’s assessment, prepared in collaboration with California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation, indicates that imidacloprid potentially poses risk to hives when the pesticide comes in contact with certain crops that attract pollinators. “Delivering on the President’s … Read More

USDA to Assess Honey Bee Health

Kelly MarshallHoneybees, USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be gathering information in the coming month to assess the health and quantity of honey bee colonies.  The survey will cover honey production and stocks and costs to farmers of pollination services.  The numbers will be used to establish baseline data that can be used to establish further goals, … Read More

Iowa Dept of Ag Recieves $227K Grant for Monarch Habitats

Taylor Truckeyenvironment, Honeybees, pollinators, USDA

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) gave the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Pathfinders RC&D a grant totaling $227,400 to establish monarch habitat in their state. Privately owned land totaling 3,311 acres in Iowa will utilized for the monarch habitats. The Department and Pathfinders RC&D will provide $227,500 in matching funds to support the project. The … Read More

The Buzz About Pollinators

Kelly MarshallBees, Government, Honeybees, pollinators

June 15-21 has been declared Pollinator Week by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD).  In conjunction with the USDA–NRCS, US Forest Service, the Pollinator Partnership, and others the group is celebrating what may seem like annoying insects. “Pollinators play a critical role in our everyday lives, and it’s important that we work to protect their habitat,” says NACD President Lee … Read More

Cornell Proves Honeybee Hives May Be Unnecessary

Kelly MarshallFruit, Honeybees, Research, University

Researchers from the Cornell Horticlutrue Section of the School of Intergrative Plant Science and the Department of Entomology have experimented with a rather surprising subject. The Cornell orchards in Ithaca are producing crisp apples– all without the aid of commercial hives of honeybees. “This is a food security issue,” said entomology professor Bryan Danforth. “We need to know if growers … Read More