As Eu is banning the three neonics for 2014 ? 2015, Finnish farmers are pushing 
for a small pilot test to see if we can find residues from rapeseed. Here in 
Finland the growing season is short and the rapeseed is special variety not 
used much in other countries. It is planted in spring in about two weeks and 
will flower about 5 weeks after planting. 
Hives will be placed near seed steated rapeseed / no seed treatment / seed 
treatment + sparayinng before the bloom.

As I am in the group advicing mostly about the bees I have asked if we could 
do my favorite. Feed the bees with neonics and see what happens.

I would like to get comments from you about the plan.

We take 2 standard hives (from a standardized group used in other part of the 
study, I know 2 is really too little, but that?s all that we will get money for 
as this is extra ?.). I think this as negative control.

We place the bees so that they are in same area than other test colonies, but 
more than 3 km from rapeseed or orchards, so no neonics from nature.

When rapeseed starts to bloom, we start feeding the bees with neonic spiked 
sugar solution. Amount 1,5 times higher than  the highest possible amount in 
rapeseed nectar stated in ESFA paper. Only 2 of the banned  3 neonics are used 
as seed dressing here. I don?t know yet which one will be on the test, but we 
use the same as in the field test.

We feed spiked sugar solution same amount in weight as we see that the hives 
near rapeseed are getting nectar from rapeseed. 10 ? 20 kg. Feeding 1-2 kg 
daily or every few days until rapeseed flowering stops in 10 ? 14 days. If the 
location is remote from other bees open feeding if bees co-operate. One idea is 
to mix in some honey to attract the workers. One problem will be to get the 
bees interested in sugar if there is nectar coming in from nature. Ideas?

Amount of bees and brood is studied the same way as in the other study units. 
Amount of different stages of brood, amount of adult bees. Residues from 
?honey? in the hives. 

Main interest is to see if we can see any effect on the colonies.

One thing what I have been wondering is that is 1,5 times max good level to 
prove what can happen when more than max level is fed? 


Ari Seppälä
Beekeeping advicer
Finland

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