The Hartford Courant recently reported
that Connecticut lost nearly half of its honeybees during the summer and winter
of 2015-2016. While this is slightly
better than the loss of honeybees the state experienced last year (57.5%), it
is still above the national average of 44%. The Bee Informed Partnership gathers this
data through an annual survey of commercial and small-scale beekeepers. The
partnership is a nationwide effort supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to better understand the
decline of honeybee colonies.
Scientists
believe honeybee colonies are suffering because of: (1) poor nutrition, (2) the
loss of habitat, (3) disease, (4) the use of pesticides, (5) parasites (such as
Varroa mite), and (6) higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, which has
decreased the amount of protein in the pollen bees feed on.
The state
legislature recently enacted Public
Act 16-17 to address the issue of declining pollinator populations (e.g.,
bees and butterflies). Among other
things, this act (1) restricts the use of certain types of pesticides called
neonicotinoids, (2) requires reports on certain issues related to pollinator
health, and (3) allows the Department of Transportation to plant
pollinator-friendly flowers and bushes along state highways.
The decline
of honeybees may have an impact on our food supply. According to the Bee Informed Partnership,
the economic value of honeybee pollination is between $10
billion and $15 billion per year.
Some crops, such as almonds, are pollinated entirely by honeybees.
