This thread is really getting out of hand with the issue of "sub-lethal".
Gets into the question of "When did you stop beating your wife?"

First, the subject is Imidacloprid, and it is not in all colonies in but in
only few, so any sub lethal stuff out there leading to massive bee die-off
is not Imidacloprid.

Second, this great bolt of enlightenment, that many things lead to bee death
is not something new. Nor is it new that combos are deadly, since Varroa and
virus are one of those.

And third,  Varroa, virus and nosema are the main killers of bees, in fact
they dwarf all other causes. And they do not need anything else.

Just think a bit about sub-lethal. It means that you survive but may be
weakened. So what is it that comes along to kill you off? In the US, it is
Varroa and nosema, but they seem to do a good job all by themselves. So the
sub lethal agent just hurries it along but is not causative.

Me thinks that too many are trying to pin the tail on the wrong donkey.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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