Russian officials raise alarm over bee deaths

MOSCOW – Russian officials are raising the alarm about mass bee deaths across the country.

The Russian Agricultural Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that bees have been dying in large numbers in at least seven regions this year. Experts attribute the deaths to a careless and excessive use of pesticides at nearby fields.

Rossiya 1 in a TV report on Monday quoted one farmer outside Moscow who said he had lost 100,000 bees in the past week. The footage showed the ground by the hives covered by a layer of dead bees.

The ministry said that the mass deaths recorded from western Russia to Siberia have had a “substantial financial impact” on beekeeping in Russia but did not provide any figures.