> The letter by Lynn Dicks was not about whether current neonic use is good or bad.  It was about how POLITICS affects what we do about observed bee kills.

Sure, but she also says: 
"Scientists must not be turned off by the rhetoric, but motivated by it. We should engage with the debate throughout."

So, I shall continue to engage with the debate. I think there is a large body of scientific and non-politically charged research which indicates that neonics are NOT the cause of bee decline in any region of the world. I see the role of pathogens in not just honey bees but native bees as well as being far more credible as the primary cause of decline.  

But then, working on this type of hard problem is not as glamorous as the David vs Goliath battle between the beekeepers and Big Ag. My chief concern is, as I said, that if the neonic bans are instituted, there will be permanent harm to the relationship between beekeepers and agriculture. We need to be partners, not adversaries. 

PLB

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