The Bolkhovsky District Court of the Oryol Region reviewed lawsuits filed by two beekeepers…

The Bolkhovsky District Court of the Oryol Region reviewed lawsuits filed by two beekeepers against local farmers regarding mass honeybee deaths last year. In June, mass bee mortality was recorded at two apiaries, suspected to be caused by poisoning from chemicals used in crop treatments.

By law, farmers must notify beekeepers and local residents in advance of planned treatments to prevent bee deaths. After the incident, beekeepers appealed to local authorities; commissions were formed to inspect the apiaries and document the number of dead colonies. Samples of bees and nearby plants were collected and analyzed at the BelIL FSBI "VNIIZh" laboratory.