Category Archives: neonicotinoids

500 dead bumblebees – the chemical blitz of modern farming

Earlier this year, Sheila Horne was walking at Hacton Parkway, a public park and conservation area in Havering, East London. April is normally a good time to see insects in their prime so she was very surprised to find many … Continue reading

Posted in buff-tailed bumblebee, buglife, bumblebees, common carder bee, conservation, epoxiconazole, flusilazole, fungicides, Guest posts, Hacton Parkway, imidacloprid, insecticides, neonicotinoids, pollinators, red-tailed bumblebee, thiamethoxam, tony gunton | Comments Off on 500 dead bumblebees – the chemical blitz of modern farming

Disturbing the natural order – the case of neonicotinoid insecticides and farmland birds

A swift   One of my favourite nature writers is Mark Cocker who has the ability to capture a scene or an idea in a few hundred words. Despite his immense knowledge he never loses his sense of awe and … Continue reading

Posted in bees, birds, center for food safety, conservation, farmland birds, George Monbiot, Guest posts, imidacloprid, insectivorous birds, Kenneth Allsop, mark cocker, neonicotinoids, netherlands, radboud university, swift, yellow wagtail | Comments Off on Disturbing the natural order – the case of neonicotinoid insecticides and farmland birds

Holiday Questions in Natural History

Last week I escaped to the Shropshire hills and blissfully allowed my brain to stop turning over matters concerning committee-work, exams, grants and other responsibilities past, present and future. Instead I have been exercising my limbs up and down the … Continue reading

Posted in book review, neonicotinoids, ornithology, red kite, red kites, Science Culture | Comments Off on Holiday Questions in Natural History

The March of the Beekeepers

In Parliament Square in London today a diverse group of beekeepers and environmentalists are gathering; some will be wearing beekeeping suits, some will be dressed as bees, some will be carrying fruit or vegetables and you may even spot Winnie-the-Pooh … Continue reading

Posted in bees, bumblebees, Guest posts, honeybees, March of the Beekeepers, neonicotinoids | Comments Off on The March of the Beekeepers

The truth about pesticides and bees?

Each week Riverford Organic delivers a vegetable box to our door. Nestling among the mosaic of vegetables is a newsletter from the Riverford boss, Guy Watson.  This summer he has moaned, justifiably, about the state of the weather and the … Continue reading

Posted in agrochemical, bees, buglife, bumblebees, companies, environmental audit committee, friends of the earth, honeybees, insecticides, insects, neonicotinoids, Science policy, soil association | Comments Off on The truth about pesticides and bees?