After spraying campaigns with Zika avoidance pesticide in South Carolina recently more than three million honeybees died on a single farm. The inhabitants of more than 46 hives were killed by an aerial pesticide spraying action on Sunday.
At the beginning of the week, South Carolina beekeepers discovered millions of honeybees that were dead which seemed to cover their apiaries. Videos posted by beekeepers present thousand of lifeless insects poisoned by an insecticide while the survivors fought to relocate the corpses of companion honeybees.
Andrew Macke, another beekeeper that posted a video of his dead bees mentioned that the disperse of Zika pesticide had destroyed his business by killing thousands of his insects.
Throughout the U.S, honeybees and similar pollinators provide an estimated $29 billion to farm revenue. The study investigated the economic importance of honeybees and other insect pollinators for 58 products. They were including species that are immediately dependent on insects for pollination, such as blueberries, cherries, apples, almonds, oranges and squash. Moreover, they analyzed varieties that are indirectly reliant on insects, such as sugar beets, alfalfa, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, and onions. The conclusions reveal that in 2010, the value of directly pollinated products was $16.35 billion, while the value of indirectly conditioned produce was $12.65 billion.
Clemson University’s Office of pesticide management is examining the event.
The leader of the program stated that although South Carolina holds strict rules about defending pollinators, the state officials were using the pesticide and they reported that stopping the crisis was their primary interest.
Weyman mentioned that more than a dozen individuals caught the Zika virus in South Carolina recently. It is why the officials are highly concern with stopping the transmissions of the virus, turning this activity into a priority.
According to Weyman, Flowertown Bees was placed on local records but not in the state’s optional registry of pollinators. Notwithstanding the investigation into what went incorrect, the killing has beekeepers concerned about what might follow next.
The vice-president of the Florida State Beekeepers Association, Jennifer Holmes, says that she does not know how individuals could recover their loss. She also mentioned that while she understands the importance of the spraying and the serious threat of Zika, people would have to maintain their agricultural livelihood.
The director of conservation programs for the North American Butterfly Association, Dennis Olle, stated that it is a certainty how profoundly harmful to butterflies and other arthropods the spraying is. However, it could also be dangerous for mammals in high enough dosages.
Image source: Wikipedia