Hello all,
     I have a question for  the list, and I hope that someone is able to
supply me with a few answers/ideas.  Recently, I saw a news article in the
St. Louis Post Dispatch  saying that pollen from genetically altered corn,
BT Corn I think it said, was toxic to Monarch Butterfly caterpillars.   They
were warning farmers to plant limited amounts of the corn to avoid problems,
and mentioned that the pollen that falls on the milkweed, often found around
cornfields, was toxic to the Monarch caterpillars.  Before I shoot a letter
off to Monsanto asking whether they tested the toxicity on honeybees, I
wanted to see if bees did indeed collect corn pollen.  I remember seeing
somewhere that they did collect it, but I dont remember if they collected
large quantities of it or not.  Also, would they pick up the pollen from
plants surrounding cornfields?
      As a teacher of biology, I have found genetic engineering fascinating,
but have always been skeptical of genetically altering anything designed to
kill pests.  Not only will it kill the intended pest, but other organisms
become the victim as well.  Thanks for any help you all can offer.
Scott