Millions of bees have been found dead, probably collateral victims of spraying to fight against mosquitoes, vectors of the Zika virus.
American beekeepers had the unpleasant surprise of having to witness the death of millions of their bees. Entire farms in South Carolina, a state in the southeastern United States, have been wiped out. The designated responsible for this disaster for their owners: Naled, a very controversial insecticide.
To combat the spread of the Zika virus, US authorities have launched a mosquito extermination campaign Aedes, responsible for transmission to humans. The states of hot and humid areas – Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama in particular – located in the southeast of the country, are the main affected.
46 beehives destroyed
In Dorchester County (South Carolina), a spraying of Naled was ordered on August 28 following suspected local transmission of Zika. The very next day, the bees fell like flies.
For a single farm, which communicated on the subject, losses have since amounted to 2.5 million individuals, or 46 beehives. “Our small family business was destroyed by aerial spraying,” the owners said via their Facebook page.
Insecticide banned in Europe
The insecticide in question is however very controversial. It was banned in Europe in 2012 for the risks it could pose not only to human health, but also to ecosystems. It would have been recognized as dangerous for aquatic organisms, and for butterflies.
Another story for the American health authorities, for which Naled does not present any particular danger, if it is used correctly in isolated cases. Puerto Rico, particularly affected by the epidemic, had refused to use it to reduce the mosquito population.
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