> does the truth, neonics = an increasing bee population, validate their use?

I have been saying this all along. For nectar crops such as canola and alfalfa, healthier plants means more nectar. Without these crops, much honey would not get produced. In the canola fields of Canada, they sing its praises (so I am told). 

This is the ultimate irony, which I have stated repeatedly. Many beekeepers benefit from agricultural crops, and yet they seem insistent on telling them how to manage their crops, based on perceived impact on the hives. 

Logically, they should move to non-ag areas if they believe there is a problem. I am in such an area, and yet the honey crops we make are not that reliable, not that good, and all dependent on wild plants such as basswood, japanese knotweed and goldenrod. The Golden Age of NYS Beekeeping was the era of white clover and buckwheat, for thousands of square miles. 

Of course, I like living in the woods, but I wouldn't attempt to make a living from bees around here.

PLB

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