New Data Confirms Second-Worst Year on Record for Honey Bees

Pesticide Action Network North America
by Lex Horan

This morning, federal officials released new survey data on honey bee losses from 2014-2015. The annual survey, conducted by the Bee Informed Partnership, US Department of Agriculture, and the Apiary Inspectors of America, found that 2014-2015 was the second-worst year on record for honey bees, with total losses spiking to 42.1%. Summer losses in 2014 were especially high at 27.4%, a marked increase from 2013 summer losses of 19.8%.

Emily Marquez, PhD, staff scientist at Pesticide Action Network, released the following statement:

“Pesticide corporations can’t spin their way out of the threats to our food system. The new survey released today continues to point to the real world challenges bees and beekeepers face and the unsustainable use of bee-harming pesticides, especially the widespread use of pesticide-coated seeds.

In the decade since unprecedented bee die-offs began, honey bee decline has not slowed. The science is in: pesticide exposure plays a significant role in these declines. Our food and farming system can’t sustain this level of pollinator loss year after year.

The continued decline of bee populations are the writing on the wall for EPA and the White House. Policymakers must take swift action to phase out the use of harmful bee-harming pesticides like neonicotinoids, restrict unnecessary and harmful practices like seed coatings, and invest in cutting-edge and green farming systems that ensure the continued prosperity of the nation’s farmers.”

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