Orcadian pesticide discussions
This discussion started here and was moved to this area the following morning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jon
Winter bees are not raised on maize pollen. Maize produces pollen late July or early august and there is an abundance of other pollens available at those times.
Excuse me please, Jon, when it comes to bees I am a good observer.
I watched my bees and their pollen supply carefully, and there was very little else about where I lived during the flowering period of maize.
And the bees did very well on it, high protein content isn't everything it seems.
Quote:
Doris you are determined to blame pesticides for bee problems at asll costs irrespective of easily available evidence. Bad science. Wooly thinking.
No, I am determined to find the reason for these colony losses, I promised my Austrian friend who lost all his colonies to look into it.
Bad science? I haven't quoted any science yet. I am trying to observe and to listen to as many beekeepers as possible and to use common sense.
If lots of beekeepers tell me it's the pesticides then I will not just dismiss it.
A bee 'under the influence' ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jon
Evidence of this statement was what I was interested in. I know what neonicotinoids are.
Quote:
the bees' ability to detect varroa could be diminished, in which case fewer mites will be removed
Just think of another neurotoxin, the simplest example is alkohol:
Children who are born to alcoholic mothers have diminished mental capacities, and it's not advisable to give children alcohol during their development, as they will end up disadvantaged in their cognitive functions.
Neurotoxins affect nerve cells, that means anything to do with sensation, locomotion, processing of information and memory can be disrupted.
Cleaning cells and catching bugs are complex activities for bees and I dare say that a bee 'under the influence' would do her job less than perfectly.
dummer bees in the next generation
But it proves that the effect of neonics on bees is typical of a neurotoxin, similar to the effect that alcohol has on humans.
My point is that even if the neonic levels are so low that most of the foragers can still find their way home, the fact that the brood food is contaminated with the nerve poison will lead to dummer bees in the next generation.