Kevin
>Over here in the UK Neonicotinoid are looked at from many angles, one fear 
>is that if they become banned the agriculture industry would be forced 
>short term at least to go back to the old tech products, >many of which 
>were far more destructive to bee colonies. This is not a personal opinion 
>but one that is used a lot for the stance on continued use of Neonics

The 'old products' have caused no problems in this area (Midlands) for the 
past 30 years once they stopped spraying rape with Hostathion.  Personally I 
have never had bees hit by pesticides in 32 years.

I would disagree with the use of the word 'targeted' in connection with 
neonicotinoids: yes, they are targeted at particular plants when the seeds 
are treated - but they are not targeted at specific pests.  Making an entire 
plant - including nectar and pollen - toxic to insects (including 
beneficials) seems to me to be the height of irresponsibility.  This is 
compounded by their persistence in soil so that they may appear the 
following year in non 'target' crops.  Have we not learnt the lessons of the 
past?  DDT?

It is easy to say that we have little evidence that neonicotinoids are 
causing problems, but these compounds are so different that currently 
accepted testing methods do not apply - yet governments seem to have been 
happy to approve their use on the basis of those useless tests.  Can so many 
(thousands) of beekeepers all be wrong about the apparent problems?

Best wishes

Peter
52.144442, -1.503509
 

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