Honey Bee Health Part 2

I just read this report and wanted to pass it on to you. RIVERSIDE, Calif, traditionally, honey bee research has focused on environmental stressors such as pesticides, pathogens and diseases.  Now a research team led by entomologists at the University of California, Riverside has published a study that focuses on an anthropogenic pollutant: selenium (Se). “Metal pollutants like selenium contaminate soil, water, can be accumulated in plants, and can even be atmospherically deposited on the hive itself,” said Kristen Hladun, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral entomologist.

According to Hladun, knowing which contaminants are the most important to regulate is key to minimizing the exposure of honey bee hives to contaminants.

“Beekeepers can take steps to prevent bees from foraging during flowering periods of plants that have exceptional pollutant levels or to move hives away from contaminated areas,” she said.  “Also, better management of weedy plant species that are known to be Se-accumulators can prevent them from becoming a route of exposure.”

After I read this report it made me think of ways to try and protect my honey bees from metal contaminants. Learning that these contaminants are in plants, the water they drink and in the soil there is not much hope for me protecting them, so instead all I can do is try not to pollute the earth any more than it already is.  (Hladun)

Bibliography

Hladun. "Health of honey bees adversely impacted by selenium." Press-News.org (2013).