Hi All,
Feel compelled to respond to yesterdays posts, particularly the
report below.
***********
“The question of bee mortality and these pesticides was discussed at a
recent meeting and at the 10th International Symposium of the International
Commission for Plant-Bee Relationships on Hazards of Pesticides to Bees on
8-10 October 2008. At present there is no evidence that the approvals need
to be amended on the crops and at the rates used in the UK, but we will
continue to keep the situation under review.
In addition, the Government's wildlife incident investigation scheme
reviewed a number of bee deaths reported to it this summer. No neonicotinoid
pesticides were detected during analysis of the bee bodies.
At this point in time there is no evidence to suggest that reported losses
of UK honeybee colonies are related to pesticide applications (see response
to PQ 5369 07/08). Consequently the Secretary of State has not asked either
PSD or the ACP to investigate these reports.
Reports of colony losses are being investigated as a high priority, and
there may be a number of factors involved. Additional funds of £120,000
(£90,000 from DEFRA and £30,000 from the Welsh Assembly
Government) have been allocated to the National Bee Unit to expand the
investigations they started last year into significant bee losses and to
meet the demand for increased inspections of bee imports.”
Huw Irranca-Davies
House of Commons Hansard, Daily Debates
29 Oct 2008
************
I have been reporting numerous significant bee deaths from my bees here in
the UK since 2002, the government agency DEFRA have never provided any
satisfactory answers. Usual response, as with 2008 losses (late May) is
“cause of death uncertain”.
Local rape seed was dressed with IMD and I requested some emphasis be put in
this direction during their investigation, which I copied to my local MP as
we were already in communication concerning problems facing UK beekeepers.
Within a few days I had two other government agencies on the phone giving me
hassle on totally unrelated honey issues, which still puzzles me !!!! They
politely went away when I told them my bees were dying big time and I was
pretty busy.
Personally, seeing is believing,…. well almost. I have queried the detection
levels used by DEFRA and am informed the LOD for neonicotinoids is 0.0003
micrograms per bee. According to my maths (based upon info gleaned from the
Bee Press) this nowhere near the danger zone for honey bees.
Perhaps someone will put this one straight for me ?
What’s certain is there is (was) very little financial support in the UK for
any serious bee death investigation, (we are not important enough,.. until
the general public is seen to be on our side) so I welcome the Cooperative
initiative, on the radio interview their spokesman stated they had been
unable to find anyone to give the money to, (one could say “who would take
the money”).
Getting everyone concerned to sit around the table and thrash out these
issues will always be a minefield, too many conflicts of interest.
I wonder if the phone will ring soon !!!!!
Regards
Mike Thurlow
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