Bees are dying in large numbers in the Vinnytsia region due to irresponsible use of pesticides on fields

A major environmental problem has been reported in the Orativ community in Vinnytsia Oblast—a mass die-off of bees at local apiaries. The main cause of the disaster is believed to be the uncontrolled application of pesticides by local farmers, who disregarded basic safety rules. 

Local authorities and beekeepers emphasize that the chemical treatment of farmland without proper warning and strict adherence to technical regulations causes irreparable harm to both the environment and the private sector, destroying the results of people’s many years of labor. As a result, outraged residents have made serious demands of the farmers.

They demand that beekeepers be informed in advance and without fail of plans to spray fields, that the rules for using plant protection products be strictly followed, and that farmers generally treat nature responsibly.

Currently, activists and affected farmers are trying to determine the exact scale and causes of the tragedy. Community members are calling on anyone with information about fieldwork or the use of specialized equipment during this period to help document the facts legally, in order to compel the responsible agricultural producers to compensate for the losses.

An official statement and calls to save the insects and the environment have been posted on the community’s Facebook page.

Beekeepers were required to update their information in the state registry.

A beekeeper in Brussels explained the specifics of honey harvesting to Alliance staff.