The difference in Bolivia is that pesticide use, along with the coca plantations it is being used to protect, is on the rise. “We use pesticides because the pests eat through the coca leaves and this affects our income. “And then more pesticides are used in higher concentrations.”Harmful organophosphates in the pesticides mean the bees — “a social insect and extremely organized,” according to Limachi — become disorganized, and less able to feed and care for larvae. Pesticides are also used to protect other crops in the country such as coffee plantations and some tropical fruits. On the lush steep slopes around Coroico, beekeeper Villca has no doubt about the immediate threat to his bees.

Source: The Express Tribune January 04, 2019 16:18 UTC