BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:23:39 EST
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (53 lines)
 
[log in to unmask] writes:

Jerry do  you or does anyone have any data to support this claim that corn 
seed  treatments are 
causing big problems?   Living in the midst of a  sea of corn in MN I know of 
no one including myself 
that falls into this  category


There are some beekeepers on the east coast, MO, and in TX making this  
claim, and some have had pollen analysis conducted and claim to see buildup of  
residues in pollen.  Almost all talk about poor nutrition being a  factor.
 
But, the beekeepers from much of the U.S. corn belt report to  us what you 
are seeing in MN - bees seem to be doing ok.
 
That same issue comes up with Canola - scattered beekeepers blaming  
neonicotinics or genetically modified plants for bee problems, yet large areas  of 
U.S. and huge portions of Canada have bees on Canola and are not reporting  
problems.
 
These are the type issues that I hope will be addressed via the dialogue  
with Bayer, especially if we can establish a better way of tackling these  
problems, such as the proposed beekeeper advisory board that would work to  assist 
Bayer with respect to the design of testing to answer questions like  these.
 
One of the most common claims is that bees on corn are nutritionally  
stressed and that supplemental feeding with pollen substitutes may 'protect' the  
bees from pesticide damage.  That's possible, although the data for the  
interaction seems to me to be a bit sketchy.  
 
As a scientist, I've been trained to adhere to Occam's Razor which   says 
that the explanation of any _phenomenon_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenon)  should make as few assumptions as  possible.  
 
Following this rule, one might note that corn pollen is known to be of  low 
nutritional value to bees.  If the bees are short of good quality  pollen, and  
if the bees collect corn pollen in its place,  than perhaps we might propose 
that the difference is simply a  substandard diet?
 
Jerry
 
 
**************Finally, one site has it all: your friends, your email, your 
favorite sites. Try the NEW AOL.com. 
(http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000006)

*******************************************************
* Search the BEE-L archives at:                       *
* http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l *
*******************************************************

ATOM RSS1 RSS2