Hi All,

Since the guttation issue is getting a lot of buzz, I reread the data from
several field studies re guttation of clothianidin-treated corn last night.

This year, Bayer performed studies in Austria and France.  The data have not
yet been published.  However, Bayer has made preliminary data available to
those in the Bayer/Beekeeper Dialog Group.

Here is an excerpt from an article that I will be sending to ABJ this week:

.  "I’ve been able to preview Bayer-funded studies that were performed in
corn fields this spring at six sites in Austria and France, under different
climatic conditions (some specifically chosen to have access to water
restricted, and little alternative attractive flora), and involving 38
fields and about 100 colonies. Guttation on the corn seedlings was commonly
present during foraging hours.

"The results were that bees were observed foraging only at the field
margins, and “only very occasionally” were individual bees observed
exhibiting symptoms of intoxication.  I’ve looked at the graphs of the
numbers of dead bees caught in hive traps or fallen on linen sheets placed
before the hives—there didn’t appear to be any significant effect of seed
treatment compared to control colonies on untreated fields.

"The researchers found that the placement of gravel-filled watering trays
decreased bee foraging for guttation water.  However, colony development for
three months appeared to be identical (and normal) whether alternate water
was provided or not.

"Aha, you say, that research was funded by Bayer!  I also found that the
Swiss government *independently performed their own tests* (BLW 2008), in
which they found that clothianidin indeed occurred at toxic levels in the
droplets for about a month after sowing.  Again, the toxic droplets appeared
to be repellent to bees.  The independent Swiss researchers found no
mortality due to clothianidin of bees in colonies placed next to the fields
during and after sowing, and observed no deterioration of the health of the
colonies.  They did suggest that it would be good beekeeping practice to
provide clean water if such was not naturally available."

I know, Bob, that you feel that my objectivity is tarnished by actually
having a dialog with Bayer, but I am a seeker of facts, and I will seek
facts from any source.  I am not trying to defend Bayer or any pesticide (I
strongly dislike pesticides).  However, when one makes a claim that a
pesticide is killing bees, and when that claim is easily verifiable by field
trials, I feel that one should look at the data from such trials.

If anyone on the list is interested in reading the Swiss study, it is
available free (yes, Stan, I rechecked) on the web.  You can read it in any
of the official Swiss languages--German, French, or Italian.  Simply google
"Bienen Monitoring in der Schweiz" and download the link.

Randy Oliver

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