Bill Truesdell wrote:
The green revolution is so strong that any major company which knows its 
product is suspect and does not do good science on it to either confirm 
or prove it wrong, is in for a major hit. Especially bees. They are on 
everyones radar and no company would want to be the cause of the bees 
disappearing and suffer the condemnation and consequences.

The above should be true - BUT:

Often when a product is placed on to the market the science supporting 
the material may be
1.Erroneous due to lack of proper directed questioning (as result of the 
Regulating bodies not requiring testing in particular circumstances)
2. Limited investigative protocols.
3. Techniques and material involved in the testing not being at the time 
adequate to indicate potential weakness, flaws or failings.

Historically, companies have been loathed, slow or unwilling to accept 
new scientific data which would impact the market position of their product.

Maybe a little dated in its self, one should get hold of the CST report 
dealing with Imidaclopride in France. It independently invalidated much 
of the work done in the cited references mentioned in the open mail from 
the Bayer representative. It also did the same for other scientific work 
done in this field. Usually due to application of invalidating 
scientific protocols.
AND this committee had a representative from the AFSSA as one of its 
members.

Individuals must also be made aware that problems with bees in France 
was only placed into the public domain after much effort by the 
beekeepers themselves who had much better things to be occupied with 
than demonstrating on the street. But if it takes that to get a 
responsible authority to listen - then that what is/ was done.

I have seen bee losses, dead hives and suffered the financial result 
from this period of time in France. Colonies well populated, arriving in 
sunflower fields from other sites that had been most productive, only to 
be without foragers several days later.

Situation in the States: No personal involvement, therefore absence of 
comment from me - But France, a different story and that is in the 
archives and other places on the net + plus hours/ days and the rest in 
  efforts to get to the truth.

To end the mail - How many of the readers on this list have a copy of " 
A Propos de la sante des abeilles..." as produced by Bayer (About the 
health of bees) - a recommended read.I am holding on to my copy as it 
will possibly be a real "treasure " in the future.

All the best,
Peter

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