Chris Mullin has been studying agrochemicals and particularly surfactants for decades. I don't think he is making this stuff up



Pete
Didn’t say he did,  My comment was targeted at the  planned exposure.  If we don’t spray on flowers, and use Dicks math on the amount actually used  then the exposure level to bees should be extremely minimal.  There are many more things out there that are bad for bees, than things that are good for them.  The goal is to minimize exposure.

The goal is NOT to sensationalize and distort reality. You of all should recognize many of the twist on the stories.  I don't know if they are planned or just ignorance, but I would hope we can discuss both sides.  In this case as I mentioned the 2 big CCD cases as I recall, were not Almond bees....  If you have information otherwise then I stand corrected.  I would not ever say these things are good for bees,  only that we have to be honest about exposure and how to minimize

In this case Mr. Mullin has written many articles on how bad pesticides are for insects.....  Without doing any research at all,  I agree, but that’s stating the obvious. His work on what we assumed were inerts is very valuable, and should and will be taken into consideration.  That said we have to ponder the consequences and ways to minimize exposures.  Not sensationalize and assume we solved CCD.


WE don't get to ban these things,  to do so would cause a collapse of our food supply,  to do that just for our bees is not only unlikely its scary to ponder.  In lieu of that we must use best practices.   When we talk of banning pesticides,  we have to understand we would see a roughly 30% yield loss right away,  it would get worse.  Add fungicides to that and you would I suspect see around a 80% loss of yields in the food supply.  As we discuss bee and pollinator health we have to understand that reality,  not live in some fantasy world.

California almond research is showing problems with fungicides that have been used in bloom,  and I daresay practices are changing. Faster may be needed,  but progress is being made.

Simple point coupled with what is supposed to be minimal exposure....

Charles

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