I began hefting deep supers of honey in 1955 in Northern Minnesota. The issue every Spring was what to do with all the bees if one did not wish to increase. It is quite different with my colonies now. I am only able to split a smaller percentage of the colonies compared to the 1950s. Our bees ofcourse are a barometer and I cannot help but think the combined effect of chemicals is an insufficiently weighted variable in the "equation." 

While that may very well be true,  Neonics have only been around for about 15 years,  10 in any sort of volumes. So the factors involved go a lot further than these particular pesticides.  As mentioned in the interview and here many times  the options are worse than seed treatments in most areas I am aware of.

One of the things honeybees have enjoyed until recently was the perk of any invasive species. For many years our honeybees were an invasive species,  and few Natural pest and predators had evolved to prey on them.   That picnic is over,  couple that with the world travel situation we have now, and the picture has changed a lot.  Varoa, nosema, tracheal mites and many things were not even sure what they are yet (see Randys article in ABJ this month) are now realities that we have to handle.

IMO  Neonics are one of the few things lately to actually help our pollinators.  The concept of a so well targeted pesticide should have been a no brainer.  It really puzzles me how some get so way off in the weeds trying to stop good things......




Thanks for that link Peter,  very nice to see.

Charles

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