I posted on the link between recent pesticides and colony collapse disorder back in September of 2008. It was pretty compelling then. We lacked only the details.
Here is my original post:
http://globalwarming-arclein.blogspot.com/2008/09/colony-collapse-disorder-resolved.html
This article solves that minor omission and discovers the route to resolution so that perhaps we will not need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
The bottom line is that Neonicotinoid based insecticides are a disaster because they accumulate in the insect’s body. That is how its long term effect was missed in testing. In time the insect succumbs and in the case of bees, it is likely that the queens succumb first forcing the collapse of the hive.
The science can not be more damning. All prior studies are obviously flawed and need to be completely redone. In the meantime the products have to be withdrawn.
Beekeepers will need to extensively monitor the local use of pesticides to establish the level of danger. That way they can save their hives. The good news is that been cumulative, it may be possible to accept occasional exposure from a far flung field or two. Most hives are set to pollinate a specific crop and it is not too hard to work directly with farmers to work around the problem now we know exactly what we are up against.
Insecticide implicated in bee decline
Aug 27, 2010
