Octopus Overlords

Defiant wrote:‘Like it’s been nuked’: Millions of bees dead after South Carolina sprays for Zika mosquitoes

The United States is on a mission to save some of its busiest workers: bees.

In a first for bees in the nation, seven bee species native to Hawaii are now protected under the Endangered Species Act.

killbot737 wrote:So apparently no-one I know can tell the difference between wasps and bees. I am very disappointed.

Finally — some good news for the bees of Hawaii.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given endangered status to seven species of yellow-faced bees native to the islands. These are "the first bees in the country to be protected under the Endangered Species Act," according to the Xerces Society, which advocated for the new designation.

The new rule designating protections for the bees, published Friday in the Federal Register, states that yellow-faced bees are known "for their yellow-to-white facial markings." They look like small wasps, according to the rule, except for their "plumose [branched] hairs on the body that are longest on the sides of the thorax, which readily distinguish them from wasps."

The yellow-faced bee is the only bee native to Hawaii, meaning that it was able to reach the Hawaiian Islands on its own, according to a fact sheet provided by the University of Hawaii's Master Gardner Program. "From that one original colonist they evolved into 63 known endemic species, about 10% of the world's yellow-faced bees and more than are found in this genus in all of North America."
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The protected status "will allow authorities to implement recovery programs, access funding and limit their harm from outside sources," as Gregory Koob of the Fish and Wildlife Service told The Associated Press. He added that "all federal agencies must consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service when interacting with endangered species."

For now, the placement of seven bee species into the Endangered Species List might be less of a sign that America's bees are in dire straits and more of an indicator that our other 3,993 bee species are probably doing fine.

Canada's health regulator is planning to ban a controversial neonicotinoid pesticide, which it says has contaminated waterways and killed important aquatic insects.

Health Canada wants to ban virtually all uses of the pesticide Imidacloprid.

It said Imidacloprid poses risks to Canada's aquatic wildlife.

Studies have linked neonicotinoid use to bee deaths around the world, although whether it is to blame for colony collapse is still being debated.

In its environmental assessment, Health Canada said it frequently detected Imidacloprid in Canadian waterways. In agricultural regions where the pesticide was heavily used, the regulator detected levels "well above concentrations that may result in toxic effects to insects".

Neonicotinoids work by affecting the central nervous system of insects, and are frequently used on corn and canola crops, as well as on everything from lawns and Christmas trees to flea treatments for pets.

But studies cited by Health Canada have shown that they can also kill off beneficial insects, such as those eaten by fish, by seeping through the ground into rivers and streams.

"These insects are an important part of the ecosystem, including as a food source for fish, birds and other animals," Health Canada wrote in its ban proposal.

Health Canada said it intends to phase out almost all uses of Imidacloprid and will re-evaluate the use of two other insecticides.

The public has 90 days to comment on the proposal, before the regulator publishes its final decision.

The world’s most widely used insecticides pose a serious danger to both honeybees and wild bees, according to a major new assessment from the European Union’s scientific risk assessors.

The conclusion, based on analysis of more than 1,500 studies, makes it highly likely that the neonicotinoid pesticides will be banned from all fields across the EU when nations vote on the issue next month.

The report from the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa), published on Wednesday, found that the risk to bees varied depending on the crop and exposure route, but that “for all the outdoor uses, there was at least one aspect of the assessment indicating a high risk.” Neonicotinoids, which are nerve agents, have been shown to cause a wide range of harm to bees, such as damaging memory and reducing queen numbers.

Isgrimnur wrote: Thu Mar 01, 2018 1:01 pm Guardian

The world’s most widely used insecticides pose a serious danger to both honeybees and wild bees, according to a major new assessment from the European Union’s scientific risk assessors.

The conclusion, based on analysis of more than 1,500 studies, makes it highly likely that the neonicotinoid pesticides will be banned from all fields across the EU when nations vote on the issue next month.

The report from the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa), published on Wednesday, found that the risk to bees varied depending on the crop and exposure route, but that “for all the outdoor uses, there was at least one aspect of the assessment indicating a high risk.” Neonicotinoids, which are nerve agents, have been shown to cause a wide range of harm to bees, such as damaging memory and reducing queen numbers.

One of the world’s most common pesticides will soon be banned by the European Union after safety officials reported human health and environmental concerns.

Chlorothalonil, a fungicide that prevents mildew and mould on crops, is the most used pesticide in the UK, applied to millions of hectares of fields, and is the most popular fungicide in the US. Farmers called the ban “overly precautionary”.

But EU states voted for a ban after a review by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) was unable to exclude the possibility that breakdown products of the chemical cause damage to DNA. Efsa also said “a high risk to amphibians and fish was identified for all representative uses”. Recent research further identified chlorothalonil and other fungicides as the strongest factor linked to steep declines in bumblebees.

YellowKing wrote: Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:58 pm Because all plurals need an apostrophe.

The EPA is eliminating crop restrictions on a pesticide known for its high toxicity to bees, the agency announced July 12.

The Environmental Protection Agency is approving the use of sulfoxaflor on alfalfa, corn, cacao, grains such as millet and oats, pineapple, sorghum, teff, teosinte, tree plantations, citrus, cotton, cucurbits such as squash, cucumbers, watermelons, some gourds, soybeans, and strawberries.

Sulfoxaflor is produced by Corteva Agriscience (previously DowDuPont) and sold under the brand names Transform and Closer.

Tracking the ‘Murder Hornet’: A Deadly Pest Has Reached North America
Sightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.

Defiant wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 1:15 pm If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Giant Hornets. They bring Giant Hornets. (Well, they bring bees, which are attacked by Giant Hornets)

Tracking the ‘Murder Hornet’: A Deadly Pest Has Reached North America
Sightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/a ... ngton.html

Fuck you, 2020.

A single Japanese giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) can kill forty honeybees a minute. A small group of them can decimate an entire bee colony. The hornet’s scissor-like teeth can wreak havoc on their prey so swiftly that Japanese honeybees had to adapt to survive.

Instead of stinging the intruder, the honeybees swarm the hornet and begin vibrating, raising their collective temperature to 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2 ºC) and turning their crush of bodies into somewhat of a convection oven. While the honeybees can tolerate temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit (47.8 ºC), Japanese giant hornets can only tolerate 115 degrees (46.1 ºC).

Watch the honeybees save their colony in a three minute video below.

Isgrimnur wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 1:52 pm Well, then, global warming will solve the problem for us!

Defiant wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 1:15 pmFuck you, 2020.

gameoverman wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 3:50 pm We need to send our best diplomats to meet with the Killer Bee Republic and get them to fight the Murder Hornets for us. We can offer air support in the form of aerial spraying of pesticide when needed. In return we'll likely have to grant them sovereignty in large parts of the US but I think it's worth it.

Defiant wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 1:15 pm If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Giant Hornets. They bring Giant Hornets. (Well, they bring bees, which are attacked by Giant Hornets)

Tracking the ‘Murder Hornet’: A Deadly Pest Has Reached North America
Sightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/a ... ngton.html

Fuck you, 2020.

Praying Mantis eats Murder Hornet

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 2:08 pm

Defiant wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 1:15 pm If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Giant Hornets. They bring Giant Hornets. (Well, they bring bees, which are attacked by Giant Hornets)

Tracking the ‘Murder Hornet’: A Deadly Pest Has Reached North America
Sightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/a ... ngton.html

Fuck you, 2020.

The murder hornet is dead. Long live the murder mantis!

Praying Mantis eats Murder Hornet