Am I missing something on the MAAREC site? 

The new reports dated 4/23/07 seems to implicate Imidacloprid or at least indicates grave 
concerns by the researchers looking at purported CCD losses. 

I did not see mentioned anywhere that any possible causes were being eliminated. Perhaps I am 
not looking far enough? or the way I could read Peter's post is he was suggesting that list of 
problems has not been mentioned by the researchers as likely causes. 

Peter can you please clarify your initial post for us? 

Relative to the 4/23/07 report by Maryann Frazier:

I would note that this is the ONLY report so far from the MAAREC group that is calling attention to 
one possible cause so I think its an important development and hints at what the researchers are 
focusing their efforts on. Their previous reports outlined the scope of the problem, listed the 
symptoms and also ruled out Bt corn. 

The FL article I posted the other day

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2007/04/22/
a1f_bees_0422.html

describes the situation with Imidacloprid and oranges in FL.:

"Dave Hackenberg, a beekeeper based in Dade City and Pennsylvania, believes that state 
regulators are starting to realize something needs to be done. UF researchers and state apiary 
inspectors plan to meet with Florida regulators within the next few weeks, he said." 

 This quote would indicate to me that in Florida they are starting to take the Imidacloprid link 
seriously. So based on the little bit we can conclude from Maryann Frazier's report and the FL 
newspaper article this may be  some of the first CCD mitigation efforts to come out of the 
research related to CCD.

To those waiting for a 100% definitive report that X or Y is the cause of CCD, I would suggest that 
science and interactions with industry does not always work that way.  We might instead see cases 
being  built around several suspicious actors like Imidacloprid and/or possibly certian migratory 
practices and the solutions will lie in getting the AG and Bee industries to change some of their 
practices that are suspected to be sources of CCD like symptoms. 

I think if we had an obvious smoking gun that causes CCD symtoms that could be replicated in a 
lab we would have heard some indications of that by now that work was underway. Given the way 
the last few months have played out I just don't think that will be the case. I predict this will 
morph into a "what can we do to improve the overall environment that honeybees are living and 
working (pollination)". Studies to further link Imidacloprid to bee losses could take years, but 
given what circumstantial evidence we have now it would seem prudent for government agencies 
etc to move forward quickly on reigning in the use of Imidacloprid. 

I think for the public and many beekeepers the notion of delivering insecticides via living plants 
falls into the category of this does not make sense if we care about our honeybee or wild 
pollinator population. Forget the definitive proof, it just makes no sense to allow the agriculture 
and lawn and garden industry to continue using these systemic insecticides. 

Regardless of what more the science may say having an issue before the public that they can 
comprehend may be a blessing as many environmental and interest groups will sieze this and run
with it and most likley get lots of public support. 

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