Thank you Charlie for answering ET's question so eloquently : )
Papers that claim to lay the blame for pollinator "decline" on neonics
invariably get published and then spun into calls for action; ground based
observations of reality (such as yours) aren't sexy enough to get attention.
I've been in correspondence of late with the author of "Increasing
neonicotinoid use and the declining butterfly fauna of lowland California,"
pointing out that they completely overlooked a major variable that far
better correlates with butterfly decline in the region than does the
minimal application of neonics (based upon actual pesticide use reports).
--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
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