> > the issues related to Imidacloprid though continue to be of concern.

> How so?  A key point to recall is that identical symptoms and
> identical "widespread losses" have shown up before, long before
> the introduction of GMO crops, Imidacloprid, or even the varroa
> infestation of North America... The last such
> event was in 1976 or so, and prior to that, in the 1960s.

Very true, however, we don't know what caused the "widespread losses"
for sure and the detection methods in those days were less sensitive,
so continued vigilance, along with improved surveillance methods and
communication might break the code.

There were some really nasty pesticides in use in the 1970s and they
were killing fish and birds, and wiping out bee operations around here
wholesale. One year we found a lot of dead birds around, and noticed
reduced numbers.  Beekeepers were affected, just by cleaning out the
dead hives.

Don't know about the sixties.  One thing is for sure, pesticides
inside the beehive or out are bad for bees, and have to be watched
closely.  Moreover, this one attacks by stealth and leaves Little
evidence behind..

Although I personally believe that there are multiple phenomena,
including normal statistical extremes in ordinary losses included in
the current loss reports and, thus superimposed on the real CCD data
(if there is really a CCD), I am fairly confident that the brains
working on this are IMO capable of dealing with the matrix of data
accumulated.

If one of the two unique observations associated with CCD is a
lingering unfriendliness of the deadout equipment to bees, moths, and
SHB, then this is a very characteristic of chemical contamination,
assuming that it is not caused  by an alien force field, or a test of
such by Jerry's friends at DARPA.

One can ask where chemicals might have come from.  Beekeepers are more
than happy to point fingers at outside pesticide applications, but
fall almost entirely silent when it comes to some of the amazing
things some beekeepers do inside the hives to deal with mites,
diseases, SHB, and moths.

Since some beekeepers are highly creative, is it inconceivable that
some may have used imidacloprid in their hives, say, to control
beetles?  They have tried everything else.

Some of the reports -- bees flying away never to return -- sure looks
like the work of imidacloprid, or its near relatives.  Of course there
are other things that can cause this, but synthetic nicotinics cannot
be ruled out and should be high on the watch list.

> > some very interesting links in this article on the Sierra Club, GMO's
> > and an attempt to relate to CCD losses.
>
> Not surprising in the least.  A number of groups with agendas having
> nothing to do with beekeeping or pollination have attempted to hitch
> their fund raising and PR wagons to CCD, pointing to CCD as "proof"
> of their favorite preconceived notions.

Everyone wants to cash in.  Maybe these losses are caused by the seal
hunt or clear-cutting?

I DON'T want to start something here, since soy has been fed to bees
for many years, and the soy products used by responsible beekeepers
and bee feed manufacturers have been carefully selected and test in
the field for safety and efficacy, however, there are some who make a
case against soy for human and animal food.

Recently, because I host a page advocating feeding protein patties and
giving instructions that include soy as an ingredient, a few wrote me
recently.

One said, "... soy is poisoning bees ... . ... Soy is proven to be and
is classified as a "Topoisomerase II-poison". see pages 32, 42, 44,
71-2, 81 ... in my 144 page Soy Research Paper ... . ... Soy killed my
wife - Soy industry murdered my wife".

Another wrote "...We help the www.soyonlineservice.co.nz webmaster
Soy protein is the most poisonous human food on the planet. Adding it
to bee food will lead to an agricultural disaster. No worner there is
already concern abourt declining US bee populations."

Bees are very different fro humans and mammals, generally, and I
mention this only because it is interesting, and there has been a
constant murmur in the background about the ubiquity of soy in our
(human) foods and possible ill effects.

Inasmuch as all common foods seem to affect at least a small part of
the human population adversely (think milk, eggs, wheat...) it is
another thing to be aware of, for human health.

I also mention this because maybe it is not widely known and easy to
forget that _the wrong choice_ of soy flour can definitely harm bees.

*Untoasted* soy flour is not good for bees.  When buying soy to make
one's own patties, beekeepers must make sure that the soy is tested
for bees.  Best way is to buy it from a bee supply house (but make
sure it has not been sitting around for more than a month or two).

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