Hearing about bee colonies dropping dead and the loss of natures natural pollinaters at astonishing amounts is disturbing. Do you know if GM crops and there un-natural characteristics are influencing this? Are GM crops killing bees? Or the high amounts of chemical pesticides? Both?

Expert response from Chris Sansone

Global Regulatory Affairs Manager – Insect Resistance Management (Americas), BASF

Thursday, 17/04/2014 19:23

Numerous factors can negatively impact honey bee health. Major concerns include the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, bee viruses, bacterial disease, nutrition, gut microbes, hive management practices and pesticide exposure. Read more on the state of honey bee health in this report issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Bee health is accepted by the scientific community as a complex issue with no single factor responsible for the decline of the bee population. This is also the opinion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which stated in 2012 that it “is not aware of any data indicating that honey bee declines or the incidence of Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD in the U.S. is correlated with the use of pesticides in general or with the use of neonicotinoids in particular.” Bayer believes protecting honeybees has to be a collaborative effort between growers, suppliers and developers, to minimize the potential risk to these important pollinators. For more information on Bayer’s Bee Policy Position and our new Bee Care Center in North Carolina, which augments our bee care program already in place in Monheim, Germany, please go to:http://www.bayercropscience.us/our-commitment/bee-health.

To see a previous response to a similar question regarding bees and GMOs, please go here: