Originally Posted by
Stromnessbees
Gavin, bees don't metabolise it, the effects are long term, as proven in the study.
What you need to know is that once bees are finished nursing there is very little metabolising going on. They are not like mammals which replace more or less all their cells within a certain amount of time. They are more like little robots whose parts cannot be renewed.
If the pesticide isn't in rather high concentrations, as it was in Britain and France when the big die-offs happened, the adult bee is not really affected.
It's the developing brood that is affected, resultung in adult bees with damaged nerve system (unable to ward off varroa), immune system (susceptibility to nosema), hormonal system (Roger's queen problems) and reduced lifespan (CCD).
What the weakened colony finally succumbs to depends on other external circumstances.
- It's like having a colony with AIDS: any adverse conditions can finish it off.
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