Louisiana’s honeybee populations are experiencing their worst decline on record, with beekeepers reporting a staggering 60% loss in colonies. Louisiana Beekeepers Association Vice President Kevin Langley says this collapse threatens not only local ecosystems but also national food supplies. That’s because bees play a crucial role in pollinating crops.
He tells the Louisiana Radio Network, “There is 2.7 million colonies throughout the United States that commercial beekeepers manage and a delivered to agricultural crops like almond pollination in California.”
Langley attributes the decline partly to pesticide use, especially the use of neonicotinoids, due to their toxic effects on the nervous system of insects, causing tremors, paralysis, and death, according to the citizen resource website PerfectBee.com. Other factors include habitat loss, and disease, all of which weaken bee immune systems.
But Langley emphasizes that there is hope. Farmers, researchers and environmentalists are raising awareness and promoting bee-friendly practices such as pollinator gardens, limiting pesticide use during blooms, and preserving green spaces by cutting back on cutting your grass.
