From: "Allen Dick" <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: sci.agriculture.beekeeping
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 8:55 AM
Subject: Re: Pesticide Alert


> I just received my catalogue from Betterbee and it contained the
> following information.  I do not know the accuracy of the information
> but it is very interesting to say the least.  I am posting it word for
> word as follows:
> "Three thousand French Beekeepers demonstrated for 3 days in late
> October in front of a Bayer pesticide factory in Cormery.  They were
> demonstrating against an organo-phosphate pesticide made by Bayer
> called Imidacloprid...

Yup.  Unfortunately it is true, and anything that can get over a thousand
French beekeepers to agree on anything -- and show up for mass
demonstrations three different times -- must be a serious matter.

There is a page presenting a wide variety of material about this pesticide
at http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/Imidacloprid/  The site contains links
to pages about the French demonstrations, to French discussions about Gaucho
(r), the major suspect, (with translations) and to various sites that
profile imidacloprid.

For some reason North American beekeepers don't seem interested, although
the French claim to have lost half a million hives to Gaucho over the last
decade.

Two French beekeepers will be at the Canadian honey Council meeting in
Moncton, New Brunswick this Jan 31 to Feb 4.

The honey council website is at http://www.honeycouncil.ca/

The convention schedule is at
http://www.honeycouncil.ca/chc-ccm/meetings.html#agenda

Eastern Canadian and US beekeepers may wish to attend the meeting.  Contact
Heather Clay at [log in to unmask]

Prices are in Canadian dollars (=67c US)

allen