The U.S. Department of Agriculture has produced its long awaited Colony Collapse Disorder Progress Report as mandated in the 2008 Farm Bill. This is a positive sign after previous confusion and a lack of clarity about what USDA was doing to address the CCD threat to honey bees.

The report reaffirms that 1) a combination of stressors is likely responsible for the syndrome, and 2) certain pesticides, and certain pesticides in combination, are likely one of those factors.  It is encouraging to see progress on numerous research projects and some discussion of potential mitigation strategies to help beekeepers address CCD factors like pests and pathogens.

But what seems to be missing is a discussion about reducing honey bees’ exposure to bee-toxic pesticides.  After all, this is an area in which federal agencies can play a powerful role, and one in which better beekeeper practices may not be enough.  If the federal CCD action team has identified pesticides--alongside pests and disease--as a potential factor in CCD, it makes sense to examine the tools available to address this problem. Hopefully a serious look at improved pesticide regulation is forthcoming from the team.