Experts crack case of 3 MILLION bees dying within 24 hours in California… and results point to ‘maliciousness’
- Millions of bees were found dead at a San Diego shelter in September
- Experts have now released the findings of their investigation into the deaths
- READ MORE: Bees ejaculate explosively to death during heat waves
About three million bees died in a California sanctuary in September – and experts have finally discovered the mysterious cause behind the mass deaths.
Beekeepers at the north San Diego site were shocked to see piles of dead honey bees in the yard and others spinning in deadly spirals.
The discovery led to an investigation by experts from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which found that the colony had been exposed to a “double lethal” dose of poison used as a termiticide and banned for outdoor use.
How the bees ingested the toxic chemical is unknown, but sanctuary staff suspect “malice” because there are no farms or orchards in the area that use the poison.
About three million bees died in a California sanctuary in September, and experts have finally discovered the mysterious cause behind the mass deaths
“A lot of love, sweat and bee stings go into our bee rescue and their healthy rehabilitation,” the sanctuary team shared at a GoFundMe page set up for the bees, exceeding the $10,000 goal.
‘This poisoning event was so devastating to experience. You can’t imagine how sad it is to not only see so many of the bees you cared for die at once, but also to see them suffer in a death spiral for several days. It’s heartbreaking.
The USDA released its findings this month, revealing that fipronil caused the deaths.
Fipronil is an insecticide that disrupts the insect’s central nervous system and is prohibited for agricultural and landscaping purposes.
Dominic Peck, who works at the shelter, said ABC10: ‘We suspect malicious intent because in all nearby orchards there was no report of the use of fipronil and there was also no positioning in the nearby aperies.
‘It seems to be aimed at us. We can’t say for sure, but just to be sure, we’re moving out of the area.’
Dominic Peck, who works at the shelter, told ABC10: “We suspect foul play because all nearby orchards have not reported the use of fipronil and there was no positioning in the nearby apiaries.
The millions of dead bees were found on September 20, 2023 at 8:00 PM PT
The venom is also poisonous to humans and causes sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, stomach ache, dizziness and seizures.
The millions of dead bees were found on September 20, 2023 at 8:00 PM PT.
The beekeepers walked through the sanctuary garden and found “piles and piles of dead bees lying in front of our beehives.”
The staff noted that the day before, the insects “fanned out on the beehive hive porches, cooling the hives from a warm summer night.”
The team spent the day scooping dead bees off the ground and providing nectar to the survivors to prevent them from foraging on infected plants.
The beekeepers walked through the sanctuary garden and found ‘piles and piles of dead bees lying in front of our beehives’
The team spent the day scooping dead bees off the ground and providing nectar to keep the survivors from foraging on infected plants.
“We had 64 colonies, and at that time 40 showed serious pesticide damage (huge piles of dead bees on the ground, the bottom shelves were so covered that the entrances were blocked by dead bees, including the queens,” beekeepers shared.
The sanctuary lost 95 percent of its bees in two colonies.
The staff opened a GoFundMe page to raise money for new boxes for the surviving bees.
“We have decided to close our Escondido Apiary because we suspect foul play,” beekeepers shared, noting that they had purchased 400 boxes with current donations.