Beekeeper Says Chemical Affecting His Business 

HAMLIN, N.Y. — "I feel sad that it has to die with me and yet it wasn't anything that I could control," said James Doan. 

James Doan is a third generation beekeeper on his family farm in the town of Hamlin.

This year will be the farm's last.

"We've sold our farm, and we're going to pay off our debt that way," said Doan.

Doan started to notice as far back as 2006 that his bees were mysteriously starting to disappear. 

"When I got married and we were running a lot of bees at some point, we got up as high as 5,300 hives of bees. After having the bee kill and everything that happened in the spring, we are down to about 300 to 400 hives," said Doan.

Doan began to research what was happening.

"There was a lot of articles coming out of France and Europe about these classes of chemicals, the neonics. Then we looked at the labels of the corn bag and every lab had clothianidin or thiamethoxam in it," said Doan.

Doan sent samples of his dead bees for testing. They came back positive for the chemical.

The EPA has listed a percentage that, if reached, will kill the bees. The levels found in Doan's bees did not reach these numbers, but the bees died anyway.

"It's an endocrine blocking, meaning it blocks the nerves on the insect, so once those nerve endings are blocked, then the bee has multiple different things that happen to it. One is it can't remember where it flies so if it flies out of the hive; it doesn't necessarily know how to fly back. It causes disorientation. It will cause them not to be able to recognize that they don't have a queen," said Doan.

Doan explains the chemicals aren't directly killing the bees, but they are making them forget how to be bees, which ultimately kills the hive.

Over the course of a summer, his farm usually supplies bees to 30 apple farms and 20 vine farms for products like squash. He says right now he can probably supply only about three farms. Farmers say these bees are important for them to stay in business.

"Without the bees the female flowers don't get pollen from the male flowers and therefore no squash, so bees are essential to our operation," said farmer Chris Martin.

Doan says, without bees, consumers will also see a change in their produce.

"It takes 13 visits to make a cucumber straight, and people don't realize that. Nobody goes to the store and wants to buy a crooked cucumber. People go to the grocery store and they want a round apple. If a bee doesn't pollinate that apple properly its flat-sided. It also wont be as sweet," said Doan.

Doan says even though this will be the last summer for his farm, he will continue to fight against the use of these chemicals.

"My bees were killed, and I had no control over that, "said Doan.

http://rochester.ynn.com/content/top_stories/668859/beekeeper-says-chemical-affecting-his-business/

NOTE:
An endocrine disruptor interferes with the endocrine system, not the nervous system.

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