Two new articles in the Journal of Apicultural Research (IBRA) reiterate the importance of pathogens in the demise of honey bee colonies, and do not give credence to a significant role of insecticides. One would be wise to recall Occam's razor in this instance. Simply put, these bees are very sick and don't need pesticides to push them over the edge. The bees in the French study were far from agricultural activities, in any case ("In this region, wild vegetation is the most representative flora, and crops such as maize or sunflower are not prominent")

> Nosema ceranae is considered to be a very important pathogen due to its increasing prevalence in the last decade. Likewise V. destructor, one of the best known pests of A. mellifera, can cause similar losses and act as a re-emerging agent if not suitably controlled. A combination of both pathogens and associated viruses could increase the probability of death in infected colonies, without pesticides exerting a significant effect.  -- Honey bee colony losses in the Jura Region, France and related pathogens

> The diversity of symptoms observed in the different apiaries has emphasised that we could attribute overwinter colony losses to many factors. In Belgium, recent studies do not support the involvement of the often blamed systemic pesticide imidacloprid. Instead it seems likely that viral infections in combination with other honey bee stress factors, such as the microsporidium Nosema ceranae and the parasitic mite V. destructor, could play a key role in at least some of the losses. -- Honey bee colony losses in Belgium during the 2008-9 winter

SEE: 
Journal of Apicultural Research  
49 4 2010 October

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