>> jim, i'm curious what you think about the presence of coumaphos
>> and fluvalinte in trapped pollen (found by the penn state team).

James Fischer wrote: >Where was this said?  

American Bee Journal, June 2008:

> In 2007 we analyzed pollen (bee bread and trapped pollen) and wax for
pesticide residues. A significant number of samples analyzed were from
operations impacted by CCD and control operations (not impacted by CCD) that
were collected by members of the CCD working group as a part of a larger CCD
study (the results of which will be published at a later date).
 
> We are becoming increasingly concerned that pesticides may affect bees at
sublethal levels, not killing them outright, but rather impairing their
behaviors or their ability to fight off infections. For example, pesticides
at sublethal levels have been shown to impair the learning abilities of
honey bees or to suppress their immune systems. For these reasons we believe
that pesticide exposure may be one of the factors contributing to pollinator
decline and CCD.

> With or without the addition of PBO or other adjuvants, fluvalinate is now
considered to be a highly toxic material to honey bees. Based on its
prevalence in wax, wide-spread resistance in varroa and its toxicity to
honey bees, fluvalinate appears to have outlived is usefulness.

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