WIRED NEWS reports:

> Clothianidin, is manufactured by German agrochemical company Bayer, though it’s actually banned in Germany. It’s also banned in France, Italy and Slovenia. Those countries fear that clothianidin, which is designed to be absorbed by plant tissue and released in pollen and nectar to kill pests, is also dangerous to pollen- and nectar-eating bees that are critical to some plants’ reproductive success. -- http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/epa-clothianidin-controversy/

What they omit:

> The German government had initially banned clothianidin for use on maize and rapeseed, but the bans were lifted after the problem was resolved. Thus, this case doesn’t hold the answer for the problems observed in the US and other countries either. 

> The bans introduced in France left no significant mark on the bee mortality statistics. Either the French farmers found a way of bypassing the ban, or the banned substances weren’t causing that much harm after all. Due to the inefficiency of the ban in France, manufacturers including Germany-based Bayer are hoping to have it lifted very soon. -- Chemistry World | February 2010


Peter L Borst
128 Lieb Road
Spencer, NY  14883
42.35°N 76.50°W

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm