>Why do you doubt the data on half life?  You said you corresponded with the

> author of the British study on soil accumulation, did you have a particular
> problem with his methodology or results?


I never said that I corresponded with the author of that data--I
corresponded with Dr. Goulson, who made up a graph from the original data,
and uploaded it in a ppt.  Please don't put words into my mouth!

And I never said that I doubted the data!  Are you trying to pick a fight
Stan?  I'm not taking the bait--I'm as interested in the environment as you
are, which is exactly why I study the data so carefully!

The data clearly show a plateauing of residue concentrations, and the paper
refers to the plateaus.  They weren't my words--I'm simply reporting on
studies that I'm willing to take the effort to actually read!

I find this entire discussion to be completely silly.  There are thousands
of beekeepers surrounded by seed-treated corn, soy, and canola whose
colonies thrive.  I've spoken with the presidents of the state beekeepers
associations, the state apiarists, and gone on the ground to visit any
number of actual beekeepers and looked at their hives, and then at Google
maps of their locations to verify that they are indeed surrounded by fields
of treated seed.

What is so hard to understand about colonies thriving year after year in
areas of intense seed treatment?  To any reasonable person it would suggest
that the treatments are causing little noticeable harm other than the
occasional planting dust kill, which I have repeatedly stated is a problem
that needs to be corrected!

Some of you can argue 'til you're blue in the face, but the fact remains
that virtually every beekeeper that I've spoken with in the Corn Belt and
in canola areas does not feel that the seed treatments are a problem.  In
fact, most tell me that this is the best it's ever been as far as
pesticides!

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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