In my opinion,  one the problems with the assessment of the effects of
pesticides both direct and sublethal is that all of the data that would be
required for an assessment is not disclosed by us beekeepers.    The Bee
Informed Partnership is attempting to put a database together with regional
data on what works and what does not work.  How many of us report to BIP on
the use of OFF label products used to treat our bees even though BIP
indicates that they strip the source from the data?

I recall reading that there have been studies of the synergistic effects
between fungicides and other chemicals that bees are exposed to  but I
still see photos of what I am told is fungicide spraying on blooming
almonds directly over or near colonies brought there for pollination.  Then
what are the synergistic effects after they leave the almonds?

How many beekeepers have used off label home brew concoctions that seemed
to work in the past but are not working now.   Then it must be the neonics
that are killing the bees and of course it is not the stuff that we put
into the hives....

Example:  Taktic is amitraz but are there other adjuvants in Taktic that
are not in Apivar?  Such as the description "Taktic is
an emulsifiable concentrate..."(
http://www.msd-animal-health.ph/products/131_118618/productdetails_131_118826.aspx).
 What makes it emulsifiable?  Taktic is also a pesticide synergist.

I think that the root cause of the colony loses that some are having will
remain very elusive until ALL of us beekeepers provide full disclosure of
where our bees are kept, what is ALL of the known exposures to
all pesticides, (including fungicides, herbicides. etc.) and ALSO  full
disclosure of ALL of the products that we beekeepers put into the hives
both ON label and especially the OFF label stuff.

Dennis
Western, NY, USA

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