Firpronil, a notorious insecticide, is the prime suspect in the recent deaths of not fewer than a million bees in South Africa’s Cape Town province. In an interview with the BBC, a leading Cape Town beekeeper made the claim, blaming the insecticide for the destruction of about 100 of his hives – the source of his estimate.
The BBC report notes that wine farmers in the province have long used Firpronil to control insects, even though the insecticide has been labeled “moderately toxic” by the World Health Organisation and is currently banned from being used on animals raised for human consumption in the European Union.
Other hives have reportedly been affected and testing is underway to confirm the cause of the poisoning even as farmers, beekeepers and the South African government have joined forces to resolve the issue.
