Thousands of honeybees living near fields sprayed with the weedkiller product have experienced a significant drop in output . The product , which is mostly used on soyabean and cotton plants , was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency claiming it would have no detrimental effect on the insects . However , the product , which is prone to drifting across fields , has been found to kill weeds which play a key role in the diet of bees , reducing their productivity . The issue has affected both honey supplies and the fruit , nut , and vegetable industries , with honeybees playing a key role in the pollination of each .
Hives of honeybees located near fields sprayed with the weedkiller Dicamba have experienced a significant drop in output. The product, which is mostly used on soyabean and cotton plants, was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency claiming it would have no detrimental effect on the insects. However, the product, which is prone to drifting across fields, has been found to kill weeds which play a key role in the diet of bees, reducing their productivity. The issue has impacted both honey supplies and the fruit, nut, and vegetable industries, with honeybees playing a key role in the pollination of each.