Hello Dave & All,

Why did Bayer refuse to be interviewed on film for sixty minutes and the
vanishing bees documentary?

Can you assure beekeepers that Midwest farmers planting imidacloprid treated
seed year after year in the same field without rotation are not raising the
risk levels as to the concentrations of the neonicotinoids in the plant?

Fact:
Just because you can not find the people I spoke with does not mean I did
not speak with people at Bayer.

Surely you can find the people I spoke with regarding the use of
imidacloprid and two fungicides in above ground treated lumber? I called the
number off the flyer. They spoke at first until they found out I was a
beekeeper and then all I got was voice mail. If they record those
conversations then there should be a record.

I can provide the date and
people if needed for the above ground treated lumber contact.


I will not provide other contacts as I fear possible  reprisals.

I appreciate the Bayer reply Dave but in my opinion falls in line with other
Bayer replies. Beekeepers are having a hard time trying to *prove a 
negative.*

Bayer did not suggests that the die off in France (120,000 hives) was mostly
caused by varroa?

 Europe beekeepers have been fighting varroa decades longer than the U.S.
and had very good varroa control then.

Also some say ( Bayer?) when those products use were suspended that the die
off continued.

My beekeeper contacts say the opposite. The reason they are fighting hard to
keep those products use suspended.

True losses are up in most of the worlds beekeeping but none in France of 
the magnitude of the 120.000 claimed losses at the time. Not even near half 
that many since at the time. Of course it depends on who you are talking to. 
My information comes from France commercial beekeepers.

Many of the largest beekeepers in the Midwest are reporting dwindling hives
which started at the time pesticide treated see corn ( planted in the same
field for many years ) started teaseling. Coincidence?

I do not know as I have said on BEE-L before but makes you wonder.

Despite all the Bayer paid for research which you freely provide as
beekeepers we have got serious concerns about some (not all) of your
products.

I lost family members to tobacco when tobacco companies provided research
for years tobacco did not cause health problems. Fought all efforts for 
years to
even put a health warning on packages . Finally the surgeon general of the 
U.S. stepped
in to provide a warning on each package.

Corn is at unheard of prices. Approached eight dollars a bushel at times. I
took a ride in a new combine  last year which has a gauge which displays the 
number
of bushels the corn gaining into the combine  harvesting in the field. I
saw the gauge reach over 200 bushels an acre at times. Multiply 200 times 8
dollars times several thousand acres many of these large farmers farm.  Mega 
bucks.

As a livestock feeder corn has typically been priced slightly over a dollar 
a bushel for decades.

I realize farmers need to feed the world ( and make big bucks doing so) and 
only
ask for Bayer help in solving dying bees. If Bayer is not responsible then 
the
beekeepers of the world apologize! If future research points the finger in
your direction please help us by making perhaps some label changes in order
to protect our bees.

Unlike many of those behind me pushing me to the front armed with complaints
against your products I realize the beekeepers of the world can not force
Bayer to make changes. We are simply to small an industry.

You are in a position Dave to help beekeepers. Surely you realize that the
possibility exists the neonicotinoids can harm bees.

Every researcher I have ever spoke with has said the possibility exists.

The neonicotinoids are a gray area.


I think if both the ABF & AHPA
felt the first research needed was on the sub lethal effects of imidacloprid
and funded forty thousand to Penn State this clearly displays Bob Harrison 
is not the
only beekeeper in the U.S. which feels the neonicotinoids need looking at.

Dave Mendes is the new ABF president and you have spoke with Dave. I believe 
Dave M. has his own concerns about some of your products but  I assure you 
Dave M. is feeling pressure from members of the ABF.


Some on BEE-L would like to paint Bob Harrison as the only beekeeper which
feels the neonicotinoids need independent from Bayer testing.

Luckily all that can happen to me for speaking out is some trying to make me
look like a radical on a lone crusade.

I have got beekeeper friends which translate problems in Europe and send to
me. I follow Europe /Bayer issues with great interest.

I have got one last question.

Why after Bayer Europe has shown the same research papers you present here
is it that beekeepers in Europe and some researchers are protesting in the
streets?

Thanks Dave for your reply!

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison

"What we do not know is so vast it makes what we do know seem absurd"

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