Missouri bees will be gaining more protection in the near future. Assistant research professor of entomology at MU Moneen Jones started a program called the Missouri Pollinator Conservancy Program, which aims to bring more information to beekeepers and farmers.
The USDA reported that the honeybee population has been declining since the 1950s.
This was the reason that Jones decided to start the program. She says that she wanted to restore the population of bees in Missouri.
Her organization calls for the placement of “BeeCheck” flags near beehives, which will make farmers aware of the location of the hives to help reduce pesticide drift.
“This is kind of a proactive approach to show to government agencies, such as the EPA and the Missouri Department of Ag that we as a state can all work together for a common goal,” Jones said.
She says that her research and program will help protect farmers and beekeepers from using practices that could harm bee populations. For Jones, she says bees are necessary for Missouri agriculture.
Vice president of the Missouri State Beekeeping Association Clayton Lee agrees. He says that honeybees affect the crop yields of corn, cucumbers and various other crops within Missouri.
“Direct impacts are those on specialty crop growers. I know there’s a lot of apple growers. The more bees you have, the better crop production you get,” Lee said.
Lee said that more Missourians have become involved in beekeeping as a result of increased media attention. However, he says he hopes that Missouri organizations can try to restore the honeybee population in the state.
Jones says her main goal is to create more connections with beekeeping organizations across the state. She is researching for her organization, and she is working toward expanding the use of her program across Missouri.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article paraphrased Moneen Jones by saying her group placed the "beecheck flags" to "to warn farmers against the use of pesticides in the area." Jones says that mischaracterized her stance on pesticides: she is not opposed to their use, her group just wants to make sure farmers know where bees or located so they can make appropriate choices to help avoid pesticide drift.
