Even though fewer honey bees were lost over the winter of 2013/14, colony collapse is still advancing at a concerning pace. Total U.S. loss of managed honey bee colonies for October 2013 through April 2014 was 23.2% according to the latest annual report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This rate is better than the 30.5% lost over the winter of 2012/13, but still higher than the 21.9% loss reported for 2011/12. Over the past eight years the average honey bee colony loss averaged 29.6% per year – a rate that the U.S. government advises is ‘economically unsustainable’. The survey results were based on information from 7,200 bee keepers who managed 564,522 colonies as of October 2013. The respondent group represents 21.7% of the country’s 2 million colonies. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that two insecticides from the neonicotinoid class appear to cause harm to honey bee colonies over the winter, especially in colder winters, and in 2013 the EU announced it will ban neonicotinoid use for crop production and for use on lawns and gardens. However, agrochemical companies state that their research indicates that the die-off is being caused by a combination of the varroa mite, viruses, nutritional problems, and parasites.
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