>> Worse yet, the stuff has a half-life in soil of about 3
>> years so once it blows around, subsequent soil disturbances will
>> raise more dust.

> With what consequences? 

Given the long half-life of the pesticide, the consequences would be very
similar to the consequences of the dust cloud created by the initial
planting.
Specifically, the dust, once stirred up, would once again settle on downwind
blooms, and foraging bees would gather pollen contaminated by the dust, and
perhaps inadvertently gather the dust itself (bees are little flying
dustmops), and bring it back to the hive.  When one combines this problem
with the trend of "setting aside" unplantable land for direct financial
benefits under  the " Conservation Reserve Program" 
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp  one can
recognize the inherent problem.  The so-called "pollinator habitat" is the
most likely land to be directly affected by this "drift" from planting corn,
and most likely to be affected by subsequent soil disturbance of the
pesticide-laden dust raised by the planting.

> The amount of clothianidin applied to the seed and soil per acre is so
incredibly small

The amount required to kill bees is even more incredibly small.

The amount of pesticide applied to each seed may be part of the problem
here.  Recall that corn seed is a very large seed. Perhaps applying less to
each seed would cut down on the amount that fails to stick to the seed, and
becomes part of the dust cloud.

I don't see this problem as being any different from a "drift" issue from
spraying pesticides, except for the part where the farmer is unaware that
his actions are creating a "spray" and a "drift" from that spray.  The
longer half-life of the pesticide implies a risk of repeat kills from any
one planting.  All you need is dry conditions and wind.

It is not the systemic pesticide that is the problem, it is the defective
design of the seed application method.  This is a simple defective product,
nothing more or less.  If not for the failure of the pesticide to stick to
the seed reliably, there would be no issue of concern for beekeepers.

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Sent From Not-So-Smartphone.  My Typo Rate May Vary. 
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