VOA慢速英語:Restrict Pesticides to Save Bees

By VOA

08 July, 2013

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

A decline in the number of honeybees is a growing problem worldwide. The decreasing bee population could contribute to an increase in prices for crops that depend on pollination by honeybees.

Researchers continue to study the decline while beekeepers like Terrence Ingram struggle to keep their bee colonies alive. He says he loves being at the center of a swarm of bees.

"I love beekeeping. It's one of God's greatest miracles."

He has raised honeybees since 1954 in managed colonies behind his house in rural Apple River, Illinois.

"We had 250 hives at one time. We sold five, six tons of honey a year."

Photo: Adam Vanbergen

But that number is declining.

"Now we're down to about probably four tons."

Not because the 73 year-old beekeeper is slowing down, but because there are fewer bees producing honey. He says the decline in his bee population began in 1996. he blames that decline on the use of insecticides and herbicides on the farmland surrounding his property.

"Every three weeks that summer, they were spraying with the airplane, and by the end of the year, I didn't have any of my 250 hives left."

This caught the attention of researchers like Christian Krupke, a professor at Purdue University who studies bees and other insects.

"There have been similar reports from Europe in the past, and so we looked into it a little bit further from the point of view of wondering first of all what is killing these bees, and second of all how are these bees acquiring whatever this toxic chemical is."

Experts say there are many reasons for the worldwide bee decline, not just insecticides.

But in this case, Proffessor Krupke and his colleagues thought insecticides might be the cause. So they studied the insecticides - known as neonicotinoids - that are applied to seeds as they are planted in the ground, rather than sprayed from above.

"The two compounds that kept coming up when we tested these dead bees were the pesticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Those are insecticides that are applied to corn seeds."

About 30 years ago, there were 4 million managed bee colonies throughout the United States. Today, there are fewer than 2 million. Researchers like Professor Krupke blame that in part on the use of insecticides.

"Can we get by without neonicotinoids insecticides in these field crops? I believe we can. I believe we have data that show that we can."

This December, the European Union plans to ban the use of some insecticides that researchers have linked to bee deaths. No such restrictions are planned in the United States.

Illinois beekeeper Terrence Ingram says some of the damage already done is permanent.

"We've got many bee keepers around here that have quit, just gone out of business because they can't succeed."

But not Terrence Ingram, he says his passion for bees is just as strong as it was when he tended his first colony, more than 60 years ago.

And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Learning English. I'm Christopher Cruise.

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語農(nóng)業(yè)報(bào)道。

A decline in the number of honeybees is a growing problem worldwide. The decreasing bee population could contribute to an increase in prices for crops that depend on pollination by honeybees.

蜜蜂數(shù)量下降是全球一個(gè)日益嚴(yán)重的問題。蜜蜂數(shù)量持續(xù)減少可能會(huì)助長依賴蜜蜂授粉的農(nóng)作物價(jià)格的上漲。

Researchers continue to study the decline while beekeepers like Terrence Ingram struggle to keep their bee colonies alive. He says he loves being at the center of a swarm of bees.

研究人員仍在研究這一下降，而泰倫斯·英格拉姆(Terrence Ingram)等養(yǎng)蜂人則在努力保持他們的蜂群存活。他說他喜歡站在蜂群的中心。

"I love beekeeping. It's one of God's greatest miracles."

他說，”我喜歡養(yǎng)蜂，這是上帝的神跡之一。”

He has raised honeybees since 1954 in managed colonies behind his house in rural Apple River, Illinois.

自1954年以來，他就在自己位于伊利諾伊州Apple River鎮(zhèn)農(nóng)村地區(qū)的屋后飼養(yǎng)有管理的蜂群。

"We had 250 hives at one time. We sold five, six tons of honey a year."

“我們?cè)?jīng)擁有250個(gè)蜂箱，每年售出五六噸蜂蜜。”

But that number is declining.

但這一數(shù)字正在銳減。

"Now we're down to about probably four tons."

“目前我們(售出的蜂蜜)下降到了四噸左右。”

Not because the 73 year-old beekeeper is slowing down, but because there are fewer bees producing honey. He says the decline in his bee population began in 1996. he blames that decline on the use of insecticides and herbicides on the farmland surrounding his property.

這不是因?yàn)檫@位73歲的養(yǎng)蜂人漸漸慢下來，而是因?yàn)楫a(chǎn)蜜的蜜蜂少了。他表示他的蜜蜂數(shù)量自1996年開始下降。他將其歸咎于自家附近農(nóng)田使用了殺蟲劑和除草劑。

"Every three weeks that summer, they were spraying with the airplane, and by the end of the year, I didn't have any of my 250 hives left."

他說，“那年夏天每三周，他們都在通過飛機(jī)噴灑農(nóng)藥。到那年年底，我250個(gè)蜂箱的蜜蜂都死光了。”

This caught the attention of researchers like Christian Krupke, a professor at Purdue University who studies bees and other insects.

這引起了像普渡大學(xué)研究蜜蜂和昆蟲的教授克里斯蒂安·克拉基(Christian Krupke)等研究人員的注意。

"There have been similar reports from Europe in the past, and so we looked into it a little bit further from the point of view of wondering first of all what is killing these bees, and second of all how are these bees acquiring whatever this toxic chemical is."

他說，“歐洲過去一直有類似的報(bào)道，所以我們從該角度出發(fā)稍微深入調(diào)查了一下。想弄明白，首先，是什么殺死了這些蜜蜂;其次，蜜蜂是如何感染上這些有毒化學(xué)品。”

Experts say there are many reasons for the worldwide bee decline, not just insecticides.

專家表示，全球蜜蜂數(shù)量下降有許多原因，而不僅僅是因?yàn)闅⑾x劑。

But in this case, Proffessor Krupke and his colleagues thought insecticides might be the cause. So they studied the insecticides - known as neonicotinoids - that are applied to seeds as they are planted in the ground, rather than sprayed from above.

但在這起案例中，克拉基教授和他的同事們認(rèn)為殺蟲劑可能就是其原因。所以他們研究了這種新煙堿類殺蟲劑，當(dāng)播種到地下時(shí)，這種殺蟲劑被應(yīng)用于種子本身，而不是在播種后從地面噴灑。

"The two compounds that kept coming up when we tested these dead bees were the pesticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Those are insecticides that are applied to corn seeds."

他說，“我們檢測(cè)這些死蜂時(shí)不斷出現(xiàn)的這兩種化學(xué)物是殺蟲劑噻蟲胺(clothianidin)和噻蟲嗪(thiamethoxam)，它們是應(yīng)用于玉米種子的兩種殺蟲劑。”

About 30 years ago, there were 4 million managed bee colonies throughout the United States. Today, there are fewer than 2 million. Researchers like Professor Krupke blame that in part on the use of insecticides.

大約30年前，美國有400萬有管理的蜂群。如今，這一數(shù)字低于200萬?？死淌诘妊芯咳藛T就其部分歸咎于殺蟲劑的應(yīng)用。

"Can we get by without neonicotinoids insecticides in these field crops? I believe we can. I believe we have data that show that we can."

他說，“我們能在這些農(nóng)田作物中不使用新煙堿類殺蟲劑嗎?我認(rèn)為有數(shù)據(jù)表明我們可以。”

This December, the European Union plans to ban the use of some insecticides that researchers have linked to bee deaths. No such restrictions are planned in the United States.

今年12月，歐盟計(jì)劃禁止使用某些殺蟲劑，研究人員已將其與蜜蜂死亡聯(lián)系起來。美國沒有計(jì)劃出臺(tái)這樣的限制。

Illinois beekeeper Terrence Ingram says some of the damage already done is permanent.

伊利諾伊州的養(yǎng)蜂人英格拉姆說，這已經(jīng)造成了一些永久性的損害。

"We've got many bee keepers around here that have quit, just gone out of business because they can't succeed."

他說，“我們這附近很多養(yǎng)蜂人因?yàn)闆]法成功都退出這行了。”

But not Terrence Ingram, he says his passion for bees is just as strong as it was when he tended his first colony, more than 60 years ago.

但這不包括英格拉姆。他說，他對(duì)蜜蜂的激情和他60多年前照顧他首個(gè)蜂箱時(shí)一樣旺盛。