MORE than half of Ireland's honeybee population has been wiped out since winter, say beekeepers, who have described the losses as a "complete and utter meltdown". Varroa mites and their related diseases, poor breeding and two years of bad weather have played a big role in decimating bee numbers. But beekeepers are also blaming a controversial range of new agricultural pesticides – neonicotinoids – for contributing to the losses of between 50pc and 80pc of Irish hives this year. In the UK, reports of 60pc losses spurred the government there to last week launch what it described as an "urgent review" of the bee crisis. According to the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations (FIBA), the wipeout among its 2,000-plus members is the worst ever. It estimates that Irish hive numbers have fallen below 10,000 from more than 20,000 before winter.
Source: The Irish Independent, 4 July 2013
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/beekeepers-facing-meltdown-as-more…
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