In the latest study revealing the extent of declines in global insect populations, researchers working in Puerto Rico’s Luquillo rainforest have documented a “bottom-up trophic cascade” triggered by large declines in the biomass and abundance of arthropods, the family of animals that include insects and spiders. Populations of insectivorous predators like lizards, frogs, and birds […]
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By: Rachel Benbrook and Dr. Charles Benbrook Are bees finally going to catch a break? Amidst lots of bad news about the decline of managed honeybees and other wild pollinators, the Seattle Times reports this week on an innovative new approach to boost pollinator health. It involves some out-of-the-box science from Paul Stamets, a mycologist from […]
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By: Rachel Benbrook The Pacific Northwest’s “mushroom man” Paul Stamets partnered with research scientists from Washington State University and USDA to conduct a potentially groundbreaking experiment showing that mushroom extracts can help bees fight off viruses. The research, published in Scientific Reports, was triggered by Stamets, a mycologist, author, and entrepreneur based in the Puget Sound. […]
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A research team from the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas in Austin has made an important contribution to the body of research seeking to answer this key question: Is the world’s most heavily used pesticide (glyphosate) contributing to the widespread decline of honeybees and other pollinators? Glyphosate is the #1 herbicide […]
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In a now-familiar move, the Trump administration is rolling back an Obama-era ban on the planting of GMO crops on federal lands managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). As Reuters reports, this prohibition also included the use of neonicotinoid insecticides and applies to the federal wildlife refuge system, potentially impacting around […]
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The Xerces Society, an international non-profit that works to conserve invertebrates and their habitats, has launched a new website that hosts an extensive database of pesticide research. The Impacts of Pesticides on Invertebrates Database collects and disseminates summaries of research articles about pesticides that their impact on invertebrates, particularly pollinators, and the environment. Articles can be […]
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A team based at the University of Vermont has produced a national map of 139 counties in which wild bee populations are at risk where they are most needed to pollinate the fruits and vegetables most Americans need to eat more of. The red and purple shaded areas of the map below cover several of […]
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The Attorney General (AG) of the State of Massachusetts has succeeded, for what is believed to be the first time, in getting a pesticide giant to change they way they communicate with the public about pesticide risks to the environment. As this press release describes how the state accused Bayer of misleading consumers about the […]
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Historic posts are reprinted verbatim from their original source. Press Release British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) National Bee Keeping Centre Royal Agricultural Show Ground Stoneleigh, Warwickshire CV8 2LG 02476 696679 September 20, 2002 For further information/comment contact: Glyn Davies (Chairman BBKA): 01364 652640 or 07711200911 Ivor Davis (Vice-Chairman BBKA): 01934 832825 or 07831 379222 There is […]
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