>But, we also know people who live in a big Ag desert surrounded by crops
treated with neonics and round up who do not have unreasonable hive deaths.
I think by far the largest problem we have is PPB.

I've tried to objectively assess the situation.  There are clearly areas in
which pesticides cause loss or morbidity of colonies.  But I'm not seeing
that neonics are necessarily the main culprits, other than from planting
dust mortality, from which colonies generally recover fairly quickly.

As I speak with successful beekeepers from all over the country, I must
report that Dick's assessment is a common thread.  Those who stay on top of
bee husbandry (varroa management and supplemental protein) tend to have far
fewer problems than those who don't.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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