New Evidence that Our Insecticides are Killing Off the Bees

io9 writes New Evidence that Our Insecticides are Killing Off the Bees

"Now, two studies have provided some of the most compelling evidence to date that a popular class of insecticides may be contributing strongly to the collapse."

"The two studies complement each other well. The wayward tendencies of the bees in the second study, for example, could help explain the decrease in productivity observed in the first. The question now, however, is how pesticide companies will respond. On one hand, these two papers provide some of the most compelling evidence yet that neonicotinoids play a significant role in the death of bees around the world; and yet, most researchers agree that pesticides alone cannot account for the declines we're seeing."

"Other factors could include climate change and disease, but given that bees pollinate an estimated 33% of America's agricultural output alone, is that any excuse to postpone the regulation — or at least thorough re-evaluation — of neonicotinoids and other pesticides?"