In response to the request for observations of neonic exposure and unusually-defensive behavior, we had two different widespread pesticide kills in Brooklyn, NY  that were verified by tests of samples at the USDA Gastonia NC lab as "imidacloprid" kills.

In each case, affected beekeepers were asked to collect and freeze live bees, dead bees, brood comb samples, and honey comb samples so I could express them down to the lab.

There were large "carpets" of dead bees in front of entrances, with the tragic-looking dying bees among them, exhibiting the usual jerking movements associated with neurotoxins.
(Clearly, several someones had done ground drenches on roses and other ornamentals, and used concentrate, not noticing the need to dilute the pesticide before applying.  Instructions on pesticide bottles are printed in small enough type that Granny is not going to ever be able to read them, even with her trifocals, and there is no requirement for "dilution advice" to be printed in large bold type, when there should be such a requirement.)

But despite the clear heavy dose and resulting extensive kills, no one of the several dozen sample-takers noticed any unusual defensiveness, and most all were beekeepers who were unusually loath to smoke with authority, and would have noticed.  "My bees are very gentle", they'd say "they need little or no smoke". This perception is very common among under-30 urban beekeepers, as they view their bees as pets, think that their bees "remember" them, despite the statistically-verifiable unlikely occurrence for any one bee to see the beekeeper more than once in its short life, and so on.    

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