With Aug. 16 being National Honey Bee Day, the Bayer Bee Care Program is spreading the word that honeybee health and populations are rebounding, compared to previous years. A few figures reflecting that include the following, according to Bayer:
- Honeybee populations are stable or increasing globally;
- After a long winter, hives on two continents were stronger than in previous years;
- President Barrack Obama started an initiative to find ways to improve honeybee health; and
- New public/private partnerships are addressing forage and nutrition challenges.
Still, honeybee health continues to be affected by many stressors. From a lack of food and heavy workload while being trucked from coast-to-coast pollinating crops to diseases and deadly pests, honeybees are constantly facing obstacles. Then there’s the Varroa mite, which is cable of destroying an entire colony.
To combat those stressors, Bayer recently opened the doors to its North American Bee Care Center in Research Triangle Park, N.C. The company also launched a new product, Fluency Agent, which was used to help reduce potential pesticide dust exposure to honeybees during the planting season on more than 3 million acres in North America. Bayer also put on its 2nd Bee Care Tour during National Pollinator Week. Plus, Bayer continues to promote proper use of all its products, including neonicotinoid insecticides.
