> I can move my bees away from the corn, but it will hit my bottom line if
I can’t safely place bees on the alfalfa crop that follows the corn.

Ted, I sure hope that you don't get hit on alfalfa--sprays (not neonics) on
alfalfa are a major cause of losses to many beekeepers.

 >So I’m glad to hear you say it’s safe.

Ted, you will never hear me say that anything is safe.  Some things are
simply safer than others.  The newer classes of insecticides appear to
generally be safer than to older classes.  And as far as
clothianidin-treated corn seed, unless properly applied, you can still get
hit by planting dust.  I'd suggest that you ask your new landowner to not
plant when it's dry or windy, and to use recommended deflectors on the
drill (if the drill is pneumatic).

>
> >Neonic free corn seed not commercially available? How did that happen so
> fast?
>

When I did a quick internet search last year, I was easily able to find
companies that sold untreated corn seed.  Unfortunately, virtually all
farmers have bought the sales pitch that neonic-treated seed will give them
a better return on investment.  Of course, if everyone always uses the same
insecticide prophylactically,  then the pests will soon become resistant.
 No insecticide should be applied unless the grower has determined that the
level of infestation of that insect pest has both passed the economic
threshold, and that no other means of control is available.  But that is
not happening with many crops.

>
> >Are we saying this new pesticide that is highly toxic to bees, is
> persistent in the soil and systemic in plants is ok to live with?


For many beekeepers, that appears to be the case.  The term "highly toxic"
is misleading--toxicity is all about the dose.  The dose used in seed
treatments is carefully calculated to NOT be "toxic" to bees via nectar or
pollen.

 >Some beekeepers even sound like neonic cheerleaders and get upset if you
dare question the safety of the stuff.

Correct!  I've met a number of them who are cheerleaders, but have not yet
met one opposed to continuing to carefully investigate the safety of them.

>
> >We’ve advanced to something with low mammalian toxicity. Now how about
> something that doesn’t indiscriminately and persistently kill every insect
> that touches it? Is that too much to ask?
>

Not at all.  In fact, that is exactly what the neonic seed treatments are
intended to do!  They are designed to only kill chewing and sap-sucking
insects in the plant's early growth stages.  In canola, they are only
effective on aphids for about a month.  You may wish to educate yourself
more about these treatments before criticizing them outright!

And the pesticide industry is rapidly moving beyond indiscriminate
insecticides, and developing "biologicals," RNAi, and precisely targeted
products.  Keep asking--the industry is responding!
-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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