The crisis threatens pollination of key crops and has led to financial ruin for many beekeepers. Scientists cite climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, varroa mites, and poor handling as potential causes.

The USDA is investigating the latest losses, but Trump-era staff cuts have slowed research, prompting Cornell University to assist.

Despite increased colony numbers from rising beekeeper interest, loss rates continue to surge, endangering agriculture and ecosystems.

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[–] SARGE@startrek.website 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There's a guy I know of who keeps bees, and while there are some people nearby who get pissy at him every time they see a bee, most people love how well all the flowers and gardens grow nearby and understand why they do.

This past year I went to someone's house nearby and their tree was blooming, but didn't look nearly as good as usual. And then I noticed I couldn't hear any bees.

When that tree has flowers, it's filled with so many bees you can hear it buzzing from the road about 300m away.

Now silence.

I haven't seen a bee around where I live in over a year. And I'm outside a lot in the spring and summer. Usually I get a few buzzing over me when I'm out in my hammock, but I have yet to hear one this year. I'm hoping they're just "sleeping in" a bit but I fear I already know the truth...

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There's also a big difference between the type of bees (honeybees) that keepers care for, and the "other" kinds (carpenter, yellow jacket...etc).

If they're ALL missing from your area, that's detrimental to plants being able to live.

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I usually have to make carpenter bee traps/lures so they leave the exposed wood around my property alone. They're going to collapse the porch at this rate.

The traps are basically just sections of 2x4 with little starter holes drilled here and there. Idk why but the chonkers seem to like those more.

So far, no traps this year.

I haven't even seen any hornets or daubers

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Honestly, at this point we may need to just stop trapping and killing any of the pest pollinators. The hormone traps they sell everywhere now have got to be a huge problem.

[–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 1 points 1 day ago

All pollinators are good pollinators.

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 6 points 3 days ago

I say "trap" but I don't kill anything, and they don't die.

It's just a sacrificial post I keep near the wood I want them to leave alone.

They're alive and well in their 2x4s