Dear BEE-L,
       Has anyone tried training bees to avoid neonicotinoid contaminated nectar and pollen ? I think it highly likely in my area (the small affluent town of Carlisle, MA with lots of manicured lawns and one large corn farmer) that neonicitnoids are everywhere. Bees in this town are notoriously failing to thrive like they used to seven or more years ago. All the beekeepers in this town, and I know most of them, are having trouble. Does anyone on this list think it would work if we set out sugar water feeder traps laced with really huge concentrations of neonicotinoids- so huge that the bees are never going to be able to return to their hives and contaminate them ?  Do you think the remaining bees would learn to avoid the neonic smell ? Would there be any dangerous side effects in trying this?
     Jerry, Randy, anyone, what do you think ?
                                                    Thanks,
                                                               Ernie Huber

 

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