Honey Bee Health Coalition Releases Incident Reporting Quick Guide to Facilitate Better Information and Data on Bee Losses

A working group of the Honey Bee Health Coalition recently conducted a review of how honey bee losses are reported and concluded that many beekeepers do not know how to report bee losses. The information provided as a result of bee loss incidents is invaluable to the EPA, states, manufacturers, pesticide applicators, growers, and beekeepers as we all work together to protect honey bees and better understand what is harming them. Accurate information on bee loss incidents is key to understanding the real-world experience of our pollinators and to inform best practices to prevent or mitigate future losses.

To improve and strengthen this vital practice, the Coalition has developed the Honey Bee Health Coalition Quick Guide to Reporting a Bee Kill Incident to acquaint beekeepers with the process of incident reporting, including how to report an incident to the State, the EPA, and pesticide manufacturers, and how to obtain help from non-governmental organizations. It also describes how beekeepers can collect their own evidence for analysis. The Coalition appreciates the support of Bee Culture magazine in sharing this information with its readers in its May 2015 issue: www.beeculture.com/reporting-acute-bee-loss-incidents/

One thousand laminated copies of the Quick Guide are available through Bee Culture magazine and can be ordered at www.pollinatorstewardship.org. You can also download an electronic copy from the Coalition website here: Quick Guide to Reporting a Bee Kill Incident