BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 14 Dec 2000 19:20:28 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (65 lines)
> We, here in France are most probably at a crucial phase in the
> "Imidaclopride" story, if one can bring it down to that level.

Some time back, I wrote to [log in to unmask], a French language list from
Belgium that I read and participate in from time to time, asking this question:

-----begin question ------
Au Canada nous nous interrogeons sur l'imidacloprid.

Nous savons que beaucoup d'apiculteurs en Europe sont convaincus qu'il est
dangereux pour des abeilles et la cause de la diminution et de la perte
plusieurs de ruches en France.

Nous sommes au cours des discussions avec les compagnies qui louent nos abeilles
pour la pollinisation.  Ils se demandent si le Goucho peut être utilisé sans
risque, puisqu'ils ont lu que le gouvernement allemand a décidé il est sûr.

Ce que nous devons savoir est ceci: parmi des apiculteurs y a il n'importe quel
doute que le imidacloprid est la cause du problème?  Est-il *possible* que le
imidacloprid ne soit pas la cause?

Bayer a envoyé un représentant au Canada à nous parler lors de la session
canadienne du Conseil de miel à Saskatoon et pour nous dire que son produit
était irréprochable, mais quand il a terminé la plupart des personnes n'ont pas
été convaincus.

Svp faites-moi savoir ce que vous pensez.  Y a-t-il un doute?

-------end question --------

In a nutshell, I said (in my poor French) that we in Canada are wondering what
the fuss is about -- and whether anybody in France has any doubts that
imidacloprid has been the cause of the sudden loss of bees.

The answers were all that imidaclopride (the French version of the word) is
insidiously harmful to bees and causing huge losses.  Moreover, apparently, the
research proving it safe and allowing for registration has turned out -- in
retrospect -- to be tainted, since the control areas had also been treated
several years back and the researchers had neglected to mention that -- even
though the product can be very persistent.  I have also seen some some leaked
recent research that shows imidacloprid(e) affects bees at unimaginably low
levels -- levels that have been previously undetectable.

I have to to tell you right here that this is NOT what I want and need to hear
right now, and although I have continued to correspond with the French
beekeepers and have even set up a web site at
http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/Imidacloprid/index.html to monitor this
problem, I would really, really rather stick my head in the sand.  This weekend,
rather than visit my mother and my sister on the weekend before Christmas as I
like to do, I find myself attending a meeting of beekeepers on the subject of
pesticides.  Ugggh.

I really would like to think that all the French beekeepers are mistaken, but I
fear they are not. Please visit the (unfinished) site and have a look.  The
material there so far is very neutral and none of the bad reports are presented.
In time, as I get the nerve -- and permission -- I intend to add some of the
correspondance I have received on the topic.  The job is made more difficult by
the fact that the reports are in several languages that I do not speak.

If the French beekeepers are right, we are in for big trouble, since this
molecule is being rapidly approved in North America to replace others that are
being phased out due to worries about cancer and other problems.

allen

ATOM RSS1 RSS2