Arkansas beekeepers may be hearing less buzz from their hives this spring. A new survey by the Bee Informed Partnership found that beekeepers reported a 40-percent bee colony loss in the last year. A typical colony loss is less than half that, year over year, and advocates for honeybees are concerned. Jon Zawislak with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture says the Varroa (var-OH-ah) mite is a large contributor to bee loss, in Arkansas and around the country.
According to the U-S-D-A, Arkansas lost five-thousand bee colonies in 2016, but added new colonies equal to the number lost. In addition to mites, honeybees are affected by neonicotinoid (NEE-oh-NICK-a tin-oid) pesticides. The European Union recently voted to ban their use, and some big-box garden stores have pledged to stop carrying plants treated with these chemicals in the next few years.