Alaska officials confirmed the state’s first detection of the small hive beetle at an apiary in the Copper River region, likely linked to imported bees from Mississippi. Experts warn the pest can damage bee colonies and honey, urging coordinated action by beekeepers to contain and eradicate it.
Specially adapted bees and overwintering procedures help mitigate the cold.
Ticks that infest red squirrels, snowshoe hares and a variety of birds have always been present in Alaska, but a team of biologists and veterinarians recently found five non-native ticks on Alaska dogs and people.
A lack of wild bees and managed honeybees is limiting pollination and yields for certain crops on farms in British Columbia and across the United States, a collective of researchers has found.
Authorities say some 300,000 bee colonies died in June and July. Experts blame pesticides — specifically neonicotinoids — but also varroa mites, the loss of natural habitat and flowers, and, more recently, climate change.
Bees, butterflies, and other insects are under attack by the very plants they feed on as U.S. agriculture continues to use chemicals known to kill.
Observations From Members 