Banning insecticides will not save British bees

I think it should be mentioned that Bayer Crop Science, which makes the neonicotinoid Pesticides at Issue is 'generously' funding a BCPC Symposium that runs this month. RR

Though systemic insecticides started out as seed dressers, they have branched in to foliar sprays later. Any systemic insecticide application during flowering threatens pollinators. I regret that the BCPC Chairperson has not made this clear in the statement reported in this article

Predictable agri-chem industry propaganda. There is a lot of scientific research that proves neonicotinoids can be expressed in pollen and nectar in quantities that are lethal to, or which have measurable sub-lethal effects on bees. It is rubbish to put the blame back on 'small-scale beekeepers' - they pay far more attention to their bees than the commercials ever have time for.

What a weak story. You'ld think the fully paid apologists for big agro-chem could come up with something better than this.

You are so wrong. We ARE poisioning our planet with insectacides. Please wake up and smell the roses while you still can.

Amother sycophantic article trying to maintain that insecticides don't kill bees. They might not kill bees imediately, but it is highly probable that many small 'safe' doses will cause behavioral problems, which will eventually result in death. I wonder why the likes of Dr Ruscoe and Tim Lovett, chairman of the BBKA, are so keen to blame Verroa, the weather, foul brood, in fact anything rather than insecticides. Bayer and Monsanto et al must have nice warm pockets.

Rupert Cox

It should be obvious to the agri-chemical industry that trying to "control" natural earthly processes with chemicals is killing more than bees. Whoever invented the term, "sub-lethal dose" or as you've stated; "acute or chronic effect level" should be held accountable for crimes against the planet. Could you please explain why the public does not have access to chronic studies of commercially available products containing imidacloprid? I am deeply concened as a lack of proof does not equate to a lack of harm.

The solution is to use Endosulfan, a broad spectrum insecticide which is safe to honey bees, and other beneficials. Its a well recommended in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices worldwide.

Unfortunately it is not allowed to be used by the European Union and has not been included in Annex I of Directive 91/414 as it is not manufactured by the big European companies like Bayer, Syngenta and BASF. It is a generic insecticide which is cheap, freely available and of no significant commercial value to big European companies.

Neonicotinoides were positioned as a replacement for Endosulfan without really considering the impact on honey bees and pollinators.

British bees can be saved if Endosulfan is brought back into use in UK.

Quote "I think it should be mentioned that Bayer Crop Science, which makes the neonicotinoid Pesticides at Issue is 'generously' funding a BCPC Symposium that runs this month."

I think it's also a scandal that the British Beekeeping Association recieves sponsorship money from petrochemical companies like Bayer and in retrun avoids mention of pesticides whenever possible.

From France: It is not the case that only small scale beekeepers are suffering, though this is painfuly true here in the mountains of southern France. In fact the main damage has been done to commercial operations. Many are now trying to get out of beekeeping, but of course to get a good price they would not loudly declaiming effects of pesticides as the reasons why they are selling up. What could be more calculated to put off new entrants or expanding businesses when the risks today of ruin are higher than ever? That GM crops and pesticides play a large role in hive collapse must now be beyond dispute; combined pressure from synergistic contaminants affect the ability of bees to combat viruse, mites and other naturally occuring infections. Combined poisons in small amounts act synergisticly to challemnge the immune system of bees. Bee DNA is different from other hymenoptera whose immune systems are more robust. The colony structure of social insects normally helps protect against disease, acting as a 'selected for' survival mechanism. Insecticides attack the weakest link in bee defences, their inferior immune system at the idividual level.
There is more at stake than just a few bees - fruit crops that abound in France are in danger - real economic as well as ecological danger - through catstrophic pollination failure. As in classic dominoe pattern, this indunstry may also suffer collapse, then cereals and fodder crops also. Bee health, or rather healthy colonies, are key to whole swathes of food production - not just honey..jam, cornflakes, bread, fruit vegetables, meat. The chemical industry is being breathtakingly complacent when its own industry is under threat; no market for products in farming will mean severe downturn in profits. Better to use resources to find ways to eliminate synergistic effects, the deadly overlap of poisons and cumulative outcomes.

C. De Quincey 16 Fev. 09 Provence.