Hi Peter D

> ... effectively augmenting the impacts of other health problems, such as Nosema infection,
> to serious levels that can be causal in hive decline and demise.

OK, that is a hypothesis which sounds reasonable as research seems to show an enhancement of the effect of Nosema from adding neonicotinoids in laboratory conditions.  Much has been made of that.  

What is much easier to overlook is that Jeff Pettis specifically declared that when you look at intact colonies, the effect isn't there.  

http://www.channel4.com/news/bee-decline-not-caused-by-pesticides (the video lower down the page)

Our home-grown activists stirred up such as fuss about neonicotinoids earlier this year that the MPs in the UK parliament looked into the issue - hence the press interest at the time.  Dr Pettis' comments weren't quite what some people were expecting.

best wishes

Gavin


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