Oklahoma lost a greater percentage of its honeybee colonies than any other state last year. As a result, beekeepers, scientists, and farmers met in Oklahoma City this month to create a plan to help pollinating insects survive. As reported by StateImpact Oklahoma, the meeting focused on ways to balance the use of pesticides with an understanding of the chemicals’ dangers to pollinators.
The EPA is currently working on new rules to protect bees. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture is also drawing up its own plan.
The health of commercial hives was the meeting’s main concern. But the survival of wild bee populations was also much-discussed. Factors contributing to the death of bees include parasites, habitat destruction, and drought.
