Another Point of View about the Honey Bee Crisis

Dandelions in this blooming cherry orchard mean the nectar is flowing

I spoke to the director of Beal Botanical Garden at Michigan State University, a professor of plant biology and a backyard beekeeper. Frank emphasized that he is not an expert on honey bees. He  pointed out that we use neonics to treat for emerald ash borer, a pernicious invasive beetle that has more than decimated the ash tree population in Michigan and elsewhere. So there might be a downside to banning their use. "To me, the bigger question might be, if neonics are toxic to honey bees, what are they doing to the native bee pollinators?" Frank says.

Frank has observed many wild honey bee swarms near his home. He himself got into beekeeping when a swarm moved into one of his wife's empty parrot breeding boxes. Now he's up to three personal hives.


The honey bee is one among many pollinators. Some believe that the introduction of the honey bee - brought here from Europe in the early 1600s - has led to a decline in native pollinators due to competition for nectar and pollen resources. Many agricultural crops are also not native to the Americas, and a farm, especially an agribusiness, does not resemble a naturally occurring ecosystem.