Apiarists from two small Mexican towns where half of the inhabitants earn their living with beekeeping have blamed a farmer’s application of a contested pesticide for the death of thousands of bees.
Honeybee colonies from around 100 hives in Suc-Tuc and Crucero Oxá in the northern state of Campeche have recently been found dead, according to Mexican media.
Apiarists in the small towns – where six in 10 inhabitants engage in beekeeping – predict a potential honey harvest decline of 270 tonnes this season. Such a decrease would reportedly mean an annual loss of MXN 7.5 million (EUR 380,000, GBP 335,000).
Experts from the Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), a public research centre, have met with them to evaluate the situation and document their loss.
The affected apiarists are convinced that their colonies died due to the application of pesticides at a neighbouring farm. The agricultural business reportedly applied fipronil to protect its corn fields from the fall armyworm, a pest that has the potential to destroy a wide variety of crops.
Due to its harmful effect on pollinators, the use of fipronil on crops is forbidden in the entire European Union. However, the substance is a very popular pest management and insect control agent.
José Manuel, a beekeeper with 40 years of experience, told the Excelsior newspaper: “This harvest season, our effort and dedication have been hit by the massive death of bees.”
José warned that he and his peers would “feel the blow from now until December.”
Here in Serbia, 700 hives were killed with pesticide with chlorpyfirin substance in it, 20 days ago,
It was in Vojvodina near place called Šid, and Dobrodol.
Apple and oil seed rape was treated with this forbidden thing..
It was forbidden last year as I heard.
My college lost 180 hives, and I lost 40,
And these other beekeepers..