The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health. The report states that there are multiple factors playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.
A press conference featuring government officials and stakeholders in the honey bee industry was held to explain the report’s findings. Those on the call were:
Sonny Ramaswamy, Administrator of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Bob Perciasepe, Acting Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. May Berenbaum, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Zac Browning, Beekeeper
Jim Jones and Steve Bradbury, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Dr. Jeffery Pettis, Bee Research Lead, USDA Agricultural Research Service