The fact that Bayer, the manufacturer of one of the implicated pesticides in CCD, imidacloprid, has funded this study, which dismisses the pesticide’s link, comes as no surprise. According to scientists in France following massive bee die-offs like CCD, Bayer also used studies flawed in both design and execution to create a sense of uncertainty surrounding imidacloprid’s toxicity to bees. Bayer produced reports that were not peer-reviewed indicating that bees would not be adversely affected by imidacloprid. Peer-reviewed studies showed effects of imidacloprid at much lower levels than Bayer acknowledged.

Research is ongoing as to the cause of the CCD phenomenon, but pesticides, especially neonictinoids such as imidacloprid, have been implicated. CCD can be especially devastating since honeybees are essential pollinators of crops that constitute over one third of the U.S. food supply or $15 billion worth of food. For more information on pollinators and CCD, read our factsheet: Pollinators and Pesticides: Escalating crisis demands action. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidesandyou/Fall08/pollinators.pdf

Beyond Pesticides believes that pesticides are likely to be a part of the CCD equation and a precautionary approach must be taken. Solutions to the loss of bees and human productivity are clearly within our reach if we engage our communities and governmental bodies. We know how to live in harmony with the ecosystem through the adoption of sustainable practices that simply do not allow toxic pesticide use. Because our survival depends on healthy pollinators, we must do everything in our power to solve this problem.

Read other Daily News Blog postings on pollinators and pesticides. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?cat=93

Long story short: 12 colonies placed in orange grove, 12 control colonies placed a few miles away not in a grove.

Hives in oranges got sprayed along with trees in bloom with new Bayer product Movento.

No loss of larva or bees was seen in the orange grove hives. There was no apparent difference 2-3 months out in each group.

Here is the kicker; all but 2 of the hives were dead at the end of the summer due to the rigors of cross country migratory pollination.

Take home story: beekeepers do a much better job killing off their bees then Bayer. I wonder what Bayer thought of that debacle?

Regardless of how you want to spin it – the ovewelming body of published science independent and Bayer sponsored shows the Bayer systemics to be benign to honeybee health.

certain segments of the industry refuse to accept this while they dump 2 to 3 miticide chemical treatments into their hive per year.

While no real science backs the claim that Bayer chems are killing bees we have several good studies now that show Apistan and Checkmite approved for mite treatments harm the reproductive health of honeybees and also weakens their immune system.

I am a full time beekeeper and am appalled at the hypocritical game these beekeepers are playing with miticides versus Bayer chems. Various environmental groups are now being used as tools to come to the side of the “poor” beekeepers. what a crock!