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Infographic: Bees’ Toxic Problem

Nearly 1/3 of honey bees have perished in just a few years, and honeybees pollinate 1/3 of all the food we eat. This is a closer look at a major cause of widespread bee die-offs, what it means to us, how we can help. When the sweet life goes sour. Let's start with pesticides. How 'neonics' harm honey bees. A picnic without bees. Bees are critical to U.S. food supplies. 1/3 of the foods we eat are pollinated by these creatures. The big picture: Honey production is the best overall indicator of bees' health. That's because sick bees make less honey. Here's a look at U.S. honey production since the bee killing class of pesticides neonicotinoids came into the picture.

Update, Sept. 6, 2019: Beekeepers, represented by Earthjustice, sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for allowing sulfoxaflor, a bee-killing pesticide linked to a nation-wide honeybee die-off, back on the market. Beekeepers around the country lost over 40% of their colonies this last year.

The EPA's decision on sulfoxaflor came four years after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the pesticide could not be used in the United States, following an Earthjustice lawsuit.

Related: Attorney Greg Loarie discusses Earthjustice's litigation to get the pesticide sulfoxaflor off the market, due to threats it poses to honeybees.

“I’m not ready to leave the marriage yet.”
– Steve EllisMinnesota beekeeper, on his desire to continue beekeeping in the face of significant bee declines.
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