"for those who want to know more, please come check out our film.  
Independant beekeepers in SLovenia, Italy, France, England and all over America  
have independantly witnessed systemics killing their bees"
 
Systemics can kill bees, but beekeepers observing bee losses in areas where 
 systemics have been used does not mean that the systemics were the cause.  
 Its a dose/response response, and unless there is evidence of lethal  
concentrations (someone has to investigate, find the chemical of concern in the  
bee colonies, at levels  that constitute hazard), the beekeeper  
observations may or may not be verifiable. I never doubt an experienced  beekeeper who 
says his/her bees are dying.  But you usually can't just look  at dying 
bees and determine cause.  The use of systemics may or may not be  coincidental 
to the event.
 
In the U.S., the recently published "largest study" on pesticides failed to 
 show a connection btw systemics and CCD (in fact, the percentage of  
samples showing systemics was surprisingly low) - so your statement about  "all 
over America" is not verified by the dose received data.   NOR do CCD 
outbreaks only occur in areas where systemics are being  used.  That lack of 
correlation ACROSS the U.S. invalidates your  statement.
 
Dave Hackenberg is in an area where systemics are used,  so he  may have 
seen pesticide induced kills, or he may have had CCD and pesticides may  have 
been an added stress, or he may have had CCD regardless of the pesticide  
pressure.  But he's only one of many beekeepers suffering the ravages of  CCD, 
and as such does not represent the world or the U.S.
 
As Gavin pointed out, if anything, the recent pesticide study points  to 
the most frequent and highest levels of chemicals being those used by  
beekeepers.  Not sure that's the message the beekeeping industry wants to  send to 
the public.
 
I'm not saying that pesticides don't kill bees.  Misuse or sometimes  
unexpected problems occur.  But that is NOT THE SAME as the cause  of CCD.  
 
Jerry
 
 

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