Summary
US honeybee deaths hit a record high, with beekeepers losing over 60% of colonies this winter.
The crisis threatens pollination of key crops and has led to financial ruin for many beekeepers. Scientists cite climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, varroa mites, and poor handling as potential causes.
The USDA is investigating the latest losses, but Trump-era staff cuts have slowed research, prompting Cornell University to assist.
Despite increased colony numbers from rising beekeeper interest, loss rates continue to surge, endangering agriculture and ecosystems.
IIRC, there was a study a few years ago that basically shrieked “IT’S THE NEONICOTINOIDS, IDIOT”, and the response seems to have been “well, yes, but we make money selling that, so find something else to blame, dumbass.”
I’m in central California and our insect populations have cratered HARD. Used to be that you couldn’t drive east-west across the San Joaquin valley without getting the front of your car called in bugs; it hasn’t been a problem at all for about two years now. I’ve seen probably a 95% decline in butterflies and bee-like insects; that is, I see about 1/20th of the butterflies I used to. This is deeply worrying. I had a dude come and offer to flush my lawn with pesticide to get all of the bugs out of it, and I took a moment to calmly talk to him about how he’s contributing to complete ecological collapse.
…i drove from the gulf coast to northern california twenty-five years ago and had to thoroughly clean my windshield of bugs every fuel stop, which was pretty typical of road trips for thirty years prior; i can’t remember the last time i’ve had to clean my windshield of anything other than dust since the mid-2000s…
The specific study I remember was that the Neonicotinoids weren’t outright killing them, but weakening them enough for a virus transmitted by a mite would. Not that I don’t think this class of pesticide should be restricted or outright banned, one simple solution is to not spray during bloom. They also found the beta acids from hops would repel or kill the mites that transmitted the virus.