Farm group disputes bee decline findings

A bee health specialist for the National Farmers’ Union disputes the findings of a UK study suggesting a link between pesticide use and the decline of wild bees.

Research by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology found that species of wild bee exposed to oilseed rape crops treated with neonicotinoids suffered declines between 2002 and 2011.

Worst impacted was the lime-loving furrow bee, which lost 23% of its population; Hawthorn mining bee populations fell by 18%.