Thanks Peter for posting!
Whatever peoples thoughts on the neonics are the bees versus the neonics issue is not going away. may take decades to resolve as was the case with big tobacco.
Eventually the house built of straw collapses.
New videos on the subject are not radical like a few years ago. But these videos and articles are not going away.
Two points from the video I see as interesting:
1. public pressure to protect the bees is growing
2. over a 100 studies now show lethal and sub lethal effects to bees.
In my opinion a *concrete* provable smoking gun will never be had as smart lawyers were always able to prevent a smoking gun in tobacco cases.
I think the most damning thing for the neonics causing problems is the losses starting when neonic use became widespread in the U.S. ( and other countries)
and losses continue despite better beekeeping practices. If not for being able to split large scale beekeeping would be over.
Splitting costs money. As long as beekeepers can keep replacing losses we can continue but profit margin shrinks.
Even in the case of the large Russian beekeeper questions arise. If taking deadouts and replacing bees costs and the Russian beekeeper wants to keep his queens as long as possible then I find the below most interesting (but typical for today's beekeeping).
From what Allen posted:
"2,000 hives need to be split to 7200" ( said as to be normal yearly practice. If so what happened to the bees in those hives from the year before? 5200 dinks either dead or crashing?)
The piece said 4500 hives went to almonds but only 2500 were sent to Mississippi to make a honey crop. (what happened to the other 2000? )
I know the answer myself as typical of today's operations.
bob
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