Some people continue to insist that studies support a significant
role of neo nics in CCD, despite very clear evidence to the contrary.
The recent report says lab tests show that imid in corn *could* poison
bees. The one below finds: in the real world, it doesn't. Plus, the
beekeepers are not controlling parasites while at the same time they
are poisoning their own bees.

I am taking no position on organic farming vs conventional farming. My
chief concern is for the health of bees, people AND the environment.
If there is to be a midpoint between all the various extreme
positions, that's where I'd be. Furthermore, we simply don't have the
right to take away a valuable tool from farmers, without making an
airtight case. And looking at alternatives, like avoiding crop land.


 > Our study does not support the involvement of maize treated with
imidacloprid in the observed mortality-related problems that affect
honey bees in Belgium. However, nutritive scarcity in the environment
must be further studied. The very large number of samples containing
acaricides, especially ineffective (tau-fluvalinate) or prohibited
(rotenone, bromopropylate) materials, to control V. destructor along
with apicultural practices highlighted during beekeeper interviews
suggest the inadequacy of the methods used for mite control. These
parasites, along with the protozoan Nosema ceranae (Higes et al. 2006)
and various viruses (Cox-Foster et al. 2007) have recently been
identified as potential risk factors for honey bees mortality, which
is described by many experts as multifactorial.

Does Imidacloprid Seed-Treated Maize Have an Impact on Honey Bee Mortality?
Journal of Economic Entomology  102(2):616-623. 2009

-- 
Peter Loring Borst
Ithaca, NY  USA

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