Controversy Deepens Over Pesticides and Bee Collapse

[polly7]

Controversy Deepens Over Pesticides and Bee Collapse
By Brandon Keim

Source: Wired.comThursday, April 12, 2012

http://www.zcommunications.org/controversy-deepens-over-pesticides-and-bee-collapse-by-brandon-keim

A controversial new study of honeybee deaths has deepened a bitter dispute over whether the developed world’s most popular pesticides are causing an ecological catastrophe.

Researchers led by biologist Chensheng Lu of Harvard University report a direct link between hive health and dietary exposure to imidacloprid, a so-called neonicotinoid pesticide linked to colony collapse disorder, the mysterious and massive die-off of bees across North America and Europe.

Bayer, the chemical and pharmaceutical giant that manufactures imidacloprid, issued a formal statementdenouncing the findings as “spectacularly incorrect” and “based on artificial and unrealistic study parameters that are wildly inconsistent with actual field conditions insecticide use.”

Lu described standing in front of the dosed beehives used in his experiment, and referenced Silent Spring, an influential work that lamented the unintended consequences of bird-killing pesticides.
“The hives were dead silent,” he said. “I kind of ask myself: Is this the repeat of Silent Spring? What else do we need to prove that it’s the pesticides causing colony collapse disorder?”

I thought it was accepted years ago these pesticides were responsible for 'colony collapse disorder'.

[dipsydoodle]

1. There are 3 causes

Pesticides, Varroa mite and general loss of habitat.

[southernyankeebelle]

2. I believe that is what killed off the bees. My mother-in-law was a beekeeper in our area.

We are in a rural area surrounded by tree nurseries. They spray around here alot. We don't have bees any longer.

[fasttense]

3. We are a small Certified Naturally Grown farm

And we stopped using petroleum based pesticides about 4 years ago. The bees have now come back and we no longer worry about our fruits and vegetables getting pollinated. The honey bees and mason bees are everywhere. Sometimes I think the flowering bushes are alive because they are so noisy with bee buzzing.

[southernyankeebelle]

4. That will never happen around here. We are surrounded by nurseries.

[Jefferson23]

5. Just read post #2 and then #3, perhaps someone can explain it better but I doubt it. n/t