New CCD study

Iddee · Apr 5, 2012

Imidacloprid, one of the most widely used pesticides, has been named as the likely culprit in the sharp worldwide decline in honey bee colonies since 2006. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say their new research provides â€œconvincing evidenceâ€ of the link between imidacloprid and colony collapse disorder.

http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2012.04.05.17.00.archive.html

PerryBee · Apr 5, 2012

I don't get it. Even when the problem has the light shined on it, there is always someone looking for the switch to turn it off! :doh:

PerryBee · Apr 6, 2012

The more I read the "Crop Protection Associations" Chief Executives response the more pi$$ed off I become. It bothered me last night after reading it and it still ticks me off.
Sounds like something someone I'm related to would say! :doh:

Zulu · Apr 6, 2012

From Wiki .......

Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide which acts as an insect neurotoxin and belongs to a class of chemicals called the neonicotinoids which act on the central nervous system of insects with much lower toxicity to mammals. The chemical works by interfering with the transmission of stimuli in the insect nervous system. Specifically, it causes a blockage in a type of neuronal pathway (nicotinergic) that is abundant in insects and not in warm-blooded animals (making the chemical selectively toxic to insects and not warm-blooded animals). This blockage leads to the accumulation of acetylcholine, an important insect neurotransmitter, resulting in the insect's paralysis, and eventually death. It is effective on contact and via stomach action.[SUP][2][/SUP]

Although it is now off patent, the primary manufacturer of this chemical is Bayer CropScience, (part of Bayer AG). It is sold under many names for many uses. Imidacloprid is one of the most widely used insecticides and can be applied by soil injection, tree injection, application to the skin, broadcast foliar, ground application as a granular or liquid formulation, or as a pesticide-coated seed treatment.[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4]

[/SUP]
Bees and other insects

Main article: Imidacloprid effects on bees
Imidacloprid is one of the most highly toxic insecticides to honey bees with a contact acute LD50 = 0.078 ug a.i./bee and an acute oral LD50 = 0.0039 ug a.i./bee.[SUP][26][/SUP] In 2006, U.S. commercial migratory beekeepers reported sharp declines in their honey bee colonies. Unlike previous losses, adult bees were abandoning their hives. Scientists named this phenomenon colony collapse disorder (CCD). Reports show that beekeepers in most states have been affected by CCD.[SUP][27][/SUP] Although no single factor has been identified as causing CCD, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in their progress report on CCD stated that CCD may be "a syndrome caused by many different factors, working in combination or synergistically." [SUP][28][/SUP] Recently, USDA researcher Jeff Pettis published the results of his study, which showed that bees treated with sub-lethal or low levels of imidacloprid had higher rates of infection with the pathogen Nosema than untreated bees.[SUP][29][/SUP] His research was confirmed by Alaux (2010) and Vidau (2011) who found that interactions between Nosema and neonicotinoids weakened bees and led to increased mortality.[SUP][30][/SUP][SUP][31][/SUP]
Researchers Kreutzweiser and Thompson (2009) from the Canadian Forest Service showed that imidacloprid at realistic field concentrations inhibits non-target terrestrial invertebrates that decompose leaf litter. In their study, there was no significant indication that invertebrates detected or avoided imidacloprid-treated leaves.[SUP][32][/SUP]
David Goulson (2012) from the University of Sterling was able to show that trivial effects due to imidacloprid in lab and greenhouse experiments can translate into large effects in the field. The research found that bees consuming the pesticide suffered an 85% loss in the number of queens their nests produced, and a doubling of the number of bees who failed to return from food foraging trips.[SUP][33][/SUP]
Click to expand...

Being a neuro toxin , it makes sense when we hear of bees not coming back to the hive....

Zulu · Apr 6, 2012

Brand Names

Turfthor, Bithor, Prothor Provado, Merit, Marathon, Admire, Premise, Pre-Empt
Bayer Advanced Garden Tree and Shrub Insect Control - sold as soil drench at Lowes and Home Despot

Animal Flea control Advantage

Advantix also in Veterinary medicine

It causes thinning of eggs in certain bird species .... sounds like another DDT

Lots of scary information in this article
http://www.apiservices.com/intoxications/imidacloprid.pdf

G3farms · Apr 6, 2012

PerryBee said: ↑

I don't get it. Even when the problem has the light shined on it, there is always someone looking for the switch to turn it off! :doh:
Click to expand...

Big money always has a heavy hand on the light switch.

rast · Apr 6, 2012

My question is how do we (and I don't mean just on this forum either) impose enough clout to fight it?

Gypsi · Apr 7, 2012

There were petitions going around last year and the year before. I signed all of them. Fortunately I live in ranch country and my neighbors are happy if their weeds vaguely resemble a lawn. I use a little scotts bonus S every few years if the nettles get too out of hand in the st augustine. I'm the hard-hitter for chemical use. I've been educating the former landscaper about bees, and he doesn't want to have to go buy his own bees, for his garden, so he's amenable.

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