I'm fortunate enough to be able to find large areas with not only no neonics, but no measurable levels of other external pesticides.  Obviously, depending on the trials, we have to make a decision about internal pesticides (miticides).  For general testing, my own home location is sufficient, but if I truly want a pesticide free (no measureable exposure at all), I have to drive to a more remote area away from the gardens in town. It costs more hauling full crews and sometimes staying overnight, but I can find these areas in MT.  For serious field testing - I've got access to the gold standard - no detectable pesticides.  And, it seems Randy can say the same.  We have commercial operations running thousands of colonies, and they have no detectable pesticides at all except for miticides, and at least one of those no longer uses miticides, although I can still find the occasional hive with some remaining fluvalenate.

I've said before, areas of intensive agriculture, industrialization, urbanization DO NOT have a clean situation. Checking for all of the non-pesticide chemicals that are harmful to bees and might be present gets expensive and quickly.  Again, we commonly see breakdown products of gasoline and diesel, degreasers, and other solvents in the urban/industrial environs, heavy metals in industrial zones, and heavy metals in areas that heavily use composting.   Note  to organic gardeners, have your compost analyzed, whether  its commercial product or your own.  When the USA banned lead in gasoline, levels of that metal, which tended to be elevated in any hives near major highways, slowed declined over the years.  But, I'm assuming most on this list don't know that as tires wear, they can release cadmium?

Jim is correct about wax - one can test before conducting an experiment.  Randy is also correct, we've not seen neonics in the wax we use.  Not to take anything  away from Jennifer,  as I understand, Roger at Gastonia was the first to detect pesticide residues in foundation - he tested some foundation he had bought.  And yes, one can start with a wax strip and get bees to build all new comb - but it may not be pesticide-free - depends on what's in the surrounding environment.  New wax does not insure pesticide free. 

As I understand, there is at least one company in Europe selling wax foundation certified to be pesticide free - as I remember the wax was being purchased in Turkey, tested in Germany - but I may be wrong about the details.  Someone on this list should know.

Nothing to stop our US suppliers of Foundation to test and certify.  Presumably, they could charge more for pesticide free wax.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html