>it implies that bees in pesticide studies, fed pure sugar water or pure
HFCS laced with various amounts of pesticides will NOT be able to
metabolize quite as much of the pesticide.
Excellent point, Jim! I brought this subject up in a recent article in
ABJ. Feeding insects plant allelochemicals may up or down regulate their
resistance to synthetic pesticides. Lab studies are of use in the
preliminary stages of pesticide testing and regulation, but they do not
compare the effects of pesticides upon bees to those of natural plant
metabolites in nectar and pollen, nor the interactions. It is only by
seeing what actually happens in the field that we can make informed
decisions about the effects of a product upon bees.
--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
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