In a sign of the times, the death of 500million honey bees in Brazil, in the short time period of just some three months, has been linked to indiscriminate use of pesticides. This equates to the loss of some 12,500 beehives, and the deaths are not simply confined to honey bees either. Large numbers of native bees would undoubtedly also have been affected, but because little research has been done in the area, the number of species and the total number of bees affected is impossible to determine.
And why? Because in moves reminiscent of the reasons behind the wildfires sweeping through the Amazon rain forests at the moment, largely caused by a relaxation of forestry rules, the Brazilian Government has relaxed restrictions on the use of many pesticides that are lethal to bees. Some 300 new products have been registered this year alone, and these include many that are banned overseas because of their lethal effects on bees.
For the full story, read The Guardian article from the link below.