Jim wrote:

> given than bees will always hedge their bets, foraging
> for BOTH pollen and nectar from multiple sources at
> all times, just in case the primary sources "dry up".
> (I'll cite Seeley's book for this, but the observation
> is noted everywhere by everyone.)

Canola flowers here at the end of the clover flow.  
Hives not in canola have little coming in.  Hives in
canola have hundreds of acres of canola surrounding
them (only a few potato farmers here are rotating with
it, but those that do have a large acreage).  I would
think for about two weeks the incoming nectar would
not be 100%, but close enough to not have significant
effect on the authors assumptions.

> Further, they make basic and profound errors in their
> assumptions of what food sources are available from
> where at any one point in time, and assume that all 
> nectar, all pollen, and all honey are equally 
> contaminated with the same exact pesticide, 

They clearly state in the summary that the assumptions
they made are not what would be encountered.  They
deal in fact with the exact criticisms you are making.
The amounts calculated are so much above the sub
lethal doses that they cite four papers for that they 
felt they could still make the conclusions they did. 

Stan

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