Paul writes:

have a  preponderance of beekeepers in those areas been reporting a decline 
 in
honey crops and failure to thrive?  Especially since the widespread  
adoption of neonic treated seed beginning
around 2004 -  2005?
 
I didn't say anything about neonics or any time frames.  I've  frequently 
heard from many beekeepers in the corn belt who, like Bob, don't want  to put 
bees near corn - or if they 'park' them there, they don't expect to get a  
honey crop.  I don't think that's anything new, but it may have  become more 
widespread - it seems like the alcohol fuels program and other  factors 
have made CORN the crop to plant based on current economics.
 
It would be interesting to compare overall acres of corn by year over the  
past couple of decades.
 
Frankly, in IL last summer, I saw very few bee colonies in the  intensive 
corn areas that I visited - the one exception was a couple  dozen hives on a 
trailer parked  by a streamside.  So, it looks like  the beekeepers have 
decided to stay away.
 
I assume that the beekeepers in the area know what they are talking about  
when they say that their bees don't thrive in the midst of corn fields, and 
from  what I could see, most stay away from those areas - I trust that if  
experienced beekeepers tell me that their colonies don't do well, its  
probably true.
 
However, why the bees don't thrive in areas of corn is a different  
question.
 
Jerry

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