More than a decade after beekeepers first raised the alarm about a dangerously low global bee population, much progress has been made in understanding the mystery of colony collapse.
More than a decade after beekeepers first raised the alarm about a dangerously low global bee population, much progress has been made in understanding the mystery of colony collapse.
A report from the European Food Safety Authority, published on Feb. 28, points squarely at neonicotinoids, some of the world’s most widely used insecticides, as a major cause — and is expected to lead to a total ban on their use when European Union nations vote on the issue next month.
In Canada, the federal government is monitoring the situation, and conducting risk assessments in collaboration with the United States. However, no federal regulations currently exist regarding their use, despite many attempts at establishing environmental limits.
Jeremy Gauthier, a master’s student in chemistry at Memorial, says one of the primary factors holding up more regulation in Canada is that the scientific community does not have the means to sample neonicotinoid pesticides effectively.
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Image via Memorial University.
