EcoHealth News
From "Maple Street Co-op News", Apr/May 2004

Pesticides accused of killing 90 billion bees.

Europe's chemical trade faces the prospect of many of its pesticides being banned in a row over the death of French bees.

The pesticides – sold under a variety of names including Regent TS, Gaucho, Shuss, Jumper and Zoom – attack insects by destroying their sense of direction.

Almost immediately after the chemicals were introduced 10 years ago, beekeepers reported that their bees were becoming disoriented and dying. Within a few years, honey production in southwest France fell by 60 per cent, a third of the country's 1.5 million registered hives disappeared, and France has had to import up to 24,000 tonnes of honey a year.

The pesticide companies – which include major chemical firms such as BASF and Bayer – claim the deaths were the result of a bee illness.

[Source: The Observer, UK, 29 February 2004]

Compiled by Ruth Parnell

[From "Maple Street Co-op News", April/May 2004; published by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.coop@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]