Bob Harrison wrote:
>I have never heard of Berenbaum  but being an organic beekeeper ( I
think he is painting U.S. organic beekeepers with a broad brush) will
not protect the organic beekeepers bees from being harmed by a
systemic pesticide. It is true from my knowledge that the vast amounts
of problems happened in row crop areas. Open pasture land hives had
few CCD issues (at least in our area).

What she* is referring to is the fact that USDA certified organic
honey must come from areas that are free from any pesticide use.
Therefore, if you have bees that are not exposed to any pesticides and
you still have problems, it isn't due to pesticides. By the way,
anyone can call themselves an organic beekeeper. However, there are
rules* that must be followed for the honey to be certified organic.

*May R. Berenbaum
Professor and Department Head
Department of Entomology
University of Illinois

* 6.11.2. Forage. Bees from which organic honey and other products are harvested
shall have access to forage produced in accordance with organic standards,
provided that the hives are located on certified land and are not within 2
miles of a sanitary landfill, incinerator, power plant, golf course, town or
city, crops sprayed with prohibited substances, genetically modified crops,
or other sources of contamination, as described in the Organic Livestock
Plan approved by the certification agent. The minimum distance may be
increased by the certification agent, if deemed necessary, on a case by case
basis.

from "The Organic Trade Association's American Organic Standards"

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