Hello Peter & All,
From the sound of the original post it seemed the beekeeper made decent
crops each year but the clover year from other sources.

Now I will say that beekeepers have always picked up dead hives from many
pesticides and never collected a dime. To hard to prove in most cases and
chemical companys retain lawyers year around to fight damage claims. I can't
count the number of dead hives from pesticides I have had and haven't
collected a dime. There are less beekeepers now than at any time in history.
We are a very small group. I have learned to live with pesticides and move
away from pesticide areas. I have got friends living next to the 19 apple
orchards close to me which can't even keep a hive of bees on their property
because the 14 plus pesticide sprays a season kill all their bees. Drifts to
the clover planted as ground cover. They have complained and also tried to
collect damage without getting a dime. The orchards were there first. I
would imagine the potato growers were in the beekeepers area first also.
Maybe the EPA will stop the use of imidicloprid and help the beekeeper out.
I hope they do but I am planning on moving away from those areas in case
they don't.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri