A new study reveals how farming practices affect colony health.
Based on a media release by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU)
Organic farming and flower strips promote the health of honey bees, with colonies growing stronger and generally being healthier when living in their vicinity. This is most likely because these areas provide bees with a diverse and continuous food supply, and there is less exposure to pesticides, according to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
The team of researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Göttingen analysed data from 32 bee colonies in 16 locations across Germany with differing proportions of organic fields, flower strips, and semi-natural habitats.
"The way that farmers cultivate their land has a major impact on nature. Intensively farmed fields, pesticides and monocultures pose a threat to many animal and plant species," says Professor Robert Paxton, a bee researcher at MLU and iDiv Member. "This is particularly true for pollinators, which include honey bees."
Around half of Germany's land is used for agriculture, according to the German Environment Agency (UBA). Prominent measures counteracting this development have included increasing the proportion of organic farming, planting more flower strips, and creating perennial semi-natural areas near crop fields. "In theory, these measures all make sense. However, we know little about how each of these measures affects insects, especially honey bees," continues Paxton.
