This thread seems to be devolving as badly as the presidential debate.
It's not black or white. Yes, many ag areas are tough on pollinators and
other wildlife. As Midwest ag shifted to no till massive planting of corn
and soy, the weeds upon which pollinators fed have disappeared. This of
course impacts honey yields. But this high use of herbicides should not
be conflated with exposure of bees to neonics.
I'm having a hard time following ET's contentious rambles. I don't
understand the connection between greenhouse use of neonics in the Bay Area
and queen rearing in the upper Sacramento Valley.
What's most important is actual measurement of field exposure to each type
of insecticide. Unless there is actual exposure, there would not be an
expected effect. As study after study has shown (e.g., the USDA pollen
sample survey, BIP data, or Sheppard's study cited by Juanse), honey bees
in most areas are only exposed to neonics sporadically, and generally at
levels below which there is any measurable adverse effect.
This is not to say that neonics aren't a problem--evidence exists that they
are impacting some other bee species, as well as causing some generally
relatively minor honey bee mortality from planting dust (with the
occasional serious kill). And some applications of neonics (chemigation,
foliar application on cotton, etc) can cause serious problems to bees.
That said, many Midwestern beekeepers say that today's pesticide problems
are minimal compared to yesteryear. To me, this is ground truthing of
claims.
Eugene, I've been corresponding with authors of other studies, not the
"contraceptive" study (Straub 2016). I suggest that you look at his Fig.
2, and decide for yourself if you feel that he observed a "significant"
effect. That's why I asked for ground truthing from Midwestern queen
producers.
--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
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