Bob Harrison wrote.

> learn from the discussion so I can be prepared for imidacloprid problems
> when they reach my area.

This makes me wonder, "How would one know if/when imidacloprid is being used
within the foraging area of their hives?".  Is this public information or
would one have to inquire of the farmers what they are using?  I imagine
such a determination would be easier in some areas (large monoculture
agribusiness areas) and harder in others, such as my locations where
suburbia continues its relentless onslaught on the once rural landscape.
Frankly, I'm not sure how I would begin to determine if imidacloprid is an
agent to consider in my area.  I have in discussions of pesticide poisoning
in general, wondered how does one know?  For instance, Dave Green has many
times mentioned pesticide kills in the height of winter (as if South
Carolina had a clue about winter ;-), where hives succumb to poisoned pollen
stored months earlier.  Aside from testing, how can one know?  If I lost a
hive during winter (in upstate New York where winter was invented) I would
look for more obvious reasons (starvation, mite stressors, poor beekeeping,
severe weather) before I would look to pesticide poisoning.  And even if I
were to quickly jump to a pesticide poisoning conclusion, how would I begin
to find the source?  Where would I begin?  Farm Bureau?  Department of Soil
Conservation?  Cornell CoOperative Extension?  This is not to say that if
imidacloprid is not in my area I should not be concerned.  Of course this is
an issue of concern for all beekeepers whether they experience "disappearing
bee syndrome" as Stan described or not.  Perhaps this is part of the
problem.  From my perspective there are so many players (land stewards) that
I cannot begin to know what everyone is using.  The flip side to that coin
is from a manufacturer's POV, there may be many more players involved than
just big agribusiness.  I guess this is why pesticide poisoning is such a
hard case to prove and why pesticide manufactures continue to get away with
so much.

Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!

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