Columbia Falls, UNITED STATES
Beekeeper Robert Harvey looks at blueberry blossoms which his Italian honey bee colonies were pollinating...
Beekeeper Robert Harvey looks at blueberry blossoms which his Italian honey bee colonies were pollinating near Columbia Falls, Maine June 23, 2014. Over recent years, bees have been dying at a rate the U.S. government says is economically unsustainable. Honey bees pollinate plants that produce about a quarter of the food consumed by Americans, including apples, watermelons and beans. A lawsuit has now been filed by environmental groups in the United States seeking an injunction restricting the approval of a controversial class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, or 'neonics'. These pesticides have become a subject of scrutiny in Europe and the U.S. as concern has mounted that they harm honeybees and other pollinators. Picture taken June 23, 2014. REUTERS/Adrees Latif (UNITED STATES - Tags: ANIMALS ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS AGRICULTURE)