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Pesticide info

2312 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Beeslave, 
L
This e-mail turned up in my inbox today, I deleted the names

Thought all would be interested.
Note: I am not ale or do not know how to put a hotlink for the link at the bottom, could someone share how to do.

Here it is.


I turned up this article early this morning, you've probably already seen it, but maybe not.
Keep up the pressure, I agree with you that pesticides are a major player in CCD. I think the connection between clothianidin treated corn seed and the break in the fall brood cycle could be huge, there are 88 million acres of corn. A 3rd generation commercial beekeeper here checked the brood this fall before the bees went to California and virtually all of his 2,000 colonies were broodless in late September and early October, just what I've been seeing.
We may now be facing another problem here in the west with clothianidin treated sugar beet seed. Sugar beets are part of a 3 crop rotation of corn, beets(with barley as a nurse crop), alfalfa, then back to corn. The question is whether there will be a soil buildup of clothianidin from the corn and beets sufficient to contaminate alfalfa nectar in damaging amounts. Alfalfa is a major nectar source in the west as I'm sure you know.
It isn't just the neonics, it's the whole attitude toward pesticide use and oversight. I learned this summer that sunflowers are being routinely sprayed for head moth when in full bloom, with pesticides that carry the Bee Caution. One of them, Warrior, is now encapsulated, and Chris Mullin's opinion is that it probably can remain lethal in the field for weeks.



http://www.dailyitem.com/0100_news/local_story_016191459.html
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J

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#3 ·
DDT 1960's, paraquat 1970's, malathion 1980's, cumophos 1990's, neonicotides 2010, the names change but the faces remain the same. As long as huge monoculture farming is the methodology this isn't going to change.

You, me, Dave and a 3rd generation beekeeper with anecdoatal ideas on what's going on changes little. Big money rules the world and at best all we can do is plan around the problem until someone with scientific credibility and clout draws the parallel OR we can turn public opinion against it. Of course we'll have to be able to outspend monsanto and ADM on TV. Not likely me thinks.
 
J

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Back to Larry's point about the impact on the food we eat. This may be the crux that would give us leverage to stop or deter the use of some of these agents. I don't think the public will support objections based on our losses but potentially if we have clear evidence the agents are showing up on the kitchen table we could impact this without the $$$. Are those studies out there?
 
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