Greetings

I have obtained a very long paper from Germany which discusses the losses in
France and the report that Schacker refers to in his book. I will quote very
briefly from the report. Anyone who wants more info is welcome to write to
me directly

> the French Minister for Agriculture commissioned a report on the reasons
for and the extent of the damage. The report published in 2003 is not
suitable for supporting the beekeepers’ demand for a ban on the registration
of products containing imidacloprid. It contains only a huge amount of
toxicological data regarding imidacloprid and bees and different theoretical
scenarios about the possible origin of the bee losses in France. All tests
under practical conditions are excluded from the evaluation. Any data about
real losses of honeybee populations and the reduction of honey yields are
missing. A synopsis of the poisoning incidents in honeybee populations by
plant protection products in Germany makes evident that these damages have
been declining for about 20 years.

submitted by
Peter L Borst

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