>
> >I believe that is only a matter of time until there will be a patented bee
> gene that makes bees resistant to neonics or some other pesticide and some
> company such as Monsanto will be marketing a patented neonic or
> clothianidin ready bee.
>

I suggested exactly such in a presentation to the ABF national convention a
couple of years back.  Certainly possible in principle, but would be much
more difficult in practice, and beekeepers are loathe to spend extra
pennies on "special" queens, are mainly interested in selection for honey
production, and the difficulties in maintaining genetically pure stocks.

>
>  >There have been
> non-GMO crops cross pollinated with the neighbors GMO crops and Monsanto in
> these cases has sued the non-GMO farmer for harvesting his own seed since
> it now has the patented Gene.
>

This certainly is the "truth" as reported by the Press.  Has anyone on the
List read the actual court transcripts to see if such an assertion is
indeed valid?  Are our juries actually such fools?

> I wonder if Monsanto's acquisition of Remebee has provided them with the
> fundamental research towards this end?


This is certainly a valid question.  I asked it directly to a well-placed
Monsanto representative.  The reply was that Monsanto does not work with
animals.  The purchase of Beeologics was an exception.  I cannot speak for
Monsanto, but my educated guess is that Monsanto was not interested in bees
so much as they were interested in the manufacturing technology of
Beeologics that could be applied to crops.

I will expand more fully in a new thread.

>

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

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