Food and Sustainability

California Study Finds Widely-Used Pesticide Harmful To Bees

August 3, 2018 | Nadine Sebai

A California Department of Pesticide Regulation study says neonicotinoids could be harmful to bee populations. Advocates say it’s time for the state to ban them, but citrus growers say they depend on the pesticide to protect their crops.

After Massive Bee Kill, Beekeepers Want Answers From Fresno County

May 16, 2017 | Julia Mitric

Beekeepers are claiming $2 million in losses from several bee kills just before almond bloom in Fresno this winter. As county ag officials investigate, beekeepers say this shouldn't have happened.  

Insight With Vicki Gonzalez

What's The Story Behind The Massive Bee Die-Off In Fresno County?

May 16, 2017

A big bee kill just before almond pollination in Fresno County has county ag officials scrambling to find the cause. Beekeepers impacted say this shouldn't have happened. CapRadio’s Julia Mitric discusses her reporting and what she found.

Environment

Dispatch From The Field: Julia Mitric On A Quest To Understand Bee Die-Off

March 23, 2017 | Julia Mitric

Food and sustainability reporter Julia Mitric is on a quest to understand how and why California bees are dying off in droves.

State Government

Proposed Bill Would Protect Bees From Harmful Chemical

March 6, 2017 | Ja'Nel Johnson

Bee colonies are declining in California and nationwide, and some experts say it's due to a harmful chemical linked to nicotine.

Work Of Yuba City Bee Keeper Slowed By Oroville Evacuation

February 17, 2017 | Julia Mitric

Mid-February is when beekeepers scramble to put tens of thousands of honey bees into California's almond orchards for pollination. The Oroville Dam evacuation order forced a Yuba City apiary to stand down.

Dispatch From The Field: Julia Mitric

February 16, 2017 | Julia Mitric

Capital Public Radio's Julia Mitric is following a Yuba-Sutter beekeeper to see why rain and the Oroville Dam worries have beekeepers scrambling at bloom time.

Food and Sustainability

Rooftop Bee Hives Elevate Urban Beekeeping

August 1, 2016 | Julia Mitric

When urbanites encounter honey bees, some run away in fear while others dream of honey. Two women are on a mission to help people feel more at ease with bees while boosting the urban ecosystem.

Environment

UC Davis Buzzing About Bumblebee Scale

July 11, 2016 | Bob Moffitt

Bumblebees are small and fuzzy and they can sting you. But researchers at UC Davis need to weigh them to gauge their health. That's why students in two disciplines are working on a project to make it easier to weigh them.

Tech Teams Working To Keep CA Bees Healthy

February 24, 2016 | Rich Ibarra

California's almond orchards are in bloom and that has the bees busy. Without the bees to pollinate there would be no almonds.