Over 30 million bees found dead in Elmwood, Canada

[Robb]

39. He lost 600 hives. He had twice that.

Per this article he had 1,000-1,200 hives this time last year.

There is definitely something wrong. Many signs point to neonicotinoids. But not knowing under what conditions this man kept more than 1,000 hives there could be many factors involved -- I say this as a backyard beekeeper.

I've mentioned before how commercial beekeepers on this scale feed their bees antibiotics, appetite stimulants, amino acids, fluvalinate, coumaphos and much more; they put out extra pollen, and extra sugar in solution -- all practices which generate more honey, but I believe contribute to a general lack of robustness in their bee population, especially as compared to wild hives or even backyard ones (which are not showing die-offs).

It is a staggering loss in one year. But that is a staggering number of hives to keep as well. I'll say again, the pace and scope of monoculture commercial farming is outdistancing the ability of natural pollinators to keep up without these massive, unnatural changes to the way they grow and reproduce. The reality of this does not obviate the need to use far fewer pesticides than we do, quite the contrary; these are two symptoms of the same problem (big ag), not simply causes for each other.