Hello Al & All,
Al wrote:
  Then I guess   solutions are at hand because the problem has been evident
for about 6 years  and also about 300,000 hives have been lost. Or does time
and losses in  another country not count?
The losses in France will certainly help beekeepers in the U.S. and other
countries with their Imidacloprid claims.  Unanswered questions remain about
the France issue however.  Why haven't hives died in other areas of the same
type of Imidacloprid use?  Why can't the losses be duplicated in tests.
Example:
When beekeepers lost hives in Florida claiming *Mitacur* strips killed their
hives.  The strips were pulled and the product was pulled and 150 hives were
bought by the chemical company.   The chemical company could not get the
strips to kill or even reduce the population in hives.  I not believing the
claims of the beekeepers continued to use my strips until they were gone
with success.  Then instead of two chemicals for varroa control we only had
one so resistant varroa mites had a foot in the door.
Banning the sale of Imidacloprid is Ok with me. Won't bother me one bit. I
hope they do.  BUT some other type farmers (potato) might put up a fight. I
believe a group of people with a need for Imidacloprid is pushing to keep
the products on the market at the beekeepers and butterflies expense. When
people quit buying the products they will disappear off the market.  Herein
lies the problem.
Bob