>
> >my question..
> since most (certainly in some since all) of these agricultural sprays are
> now water soluble what would be the least bit surprising about this
> conclusion?  do you think products like this are tightly locked to the
> exact area of their use?


Most insecticides are not water soluble--the neonics being the exception.
And many quickly degrade in the environment or bind to soil (e.g.
glyphosate) or organic matter (e.g. clothianidin). Thus the surprising
thing is exactly how they were transported to the bees.  Native bees would
be exposed to nectar and pollen, and to the soil or wood in which they make
their nests.  But most do not travel far from the nest.  The bees sampled
from grassland areas would not be expected to have flown to treated
cropland.

So the question would be the routes of exposure.  Pesticide residues would
of course be expected to show up in runoff, but runoff goes downhill only.
Other transport could be considered as "drift."  Drift of a pesticide off
of the targeted crop is to be avoided by law.  Studies such as this may
give EPA reason to reconsider the environmental fate of some pesticide
uses.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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