WASHINGTON – Researchers have unearthed another reason that bees might be getting sick, and they suspect it’s connected to common fungicides used on crops, such as blueberries and almonds, for which commercial honeybees are brought in as pollinators.
A study the University of Maryland released Wednesday found that bees are more susceptible to a lethal parasite when they’re exposed to fungus-killing chemicals.
“Bees are bringing a lot of agriculture products home with them in the colony, which is not new,” said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, the study’s senior author.
What caught the researchers’ attention was the amount of fungicide coming into the hive, he said.
They’re calling for federal regulations to restrict the use of fungicides.
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