Hi Randy,

Thanks for your reply. I greatly appreciate the time you take to share your research and keep Bee-l up-to-date on developments in the beekeeping world.

No, I do not have any experience with neonics in my beekeeping operation. However, it looks like that is about to change, as one of the ranches I place bees on has just been sold. The new owner is happy to have bees on the place but plans to add corn to his crop rotation. I can move my bees away from the corn, but it will hit my bottom line if I can’t safely place bees on the alfalfa crop that follows the corn. So I’m glad to hear you say it’s safe.

I will ask the rancher to use neonic free seed but don’t hold out much hope of success there. I note in the paper, Multiple Routes of Pesticide Exposure for Honey Bees Living Near Agricultural Fields
by Krupke et al http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029268

that they say, “Because untreated maize seed was not available commercially, we used maize harvested the previous year to plant the other half of the field.”  Neonic free corn seed not commercially available? How did that happen so fast?

I hear some beekeepers suggesting we ask landowners to use untreated seed. This seems a bit futile when neonicotinoids are now so endemic. It’s a bit like not smoking at the bingo hall.

You said: “the vast majority of beekeepers that I've spoken to in the areas of most intensive applications of neonics by seed treatment, have thriving colonies, and feel that the neonics have been a vast improvement over previous pesticides.”  Even as anecdotal evidence this surprises me. I think beekeepers are setting their standards too low. Are we saying this new pesticide that is highly toxic to bees, is persistent in the soil and systemic in plants is ok to live with? Some beekeepers even sound like neonic cheerleaders and get upset if you dare question the safety of the stuff.
 
We’ve advanced to something with low mammalian toxicity. Now how about something that doesn’t indiscriminately and persistently kill every insect that touches it? Is that too much to ask?

Thinking we could use a neonic swan song. It would help me sleep better,

 Ted

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm