permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] To Bee Organic or not to Bee
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:47:49 -0400
From: jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Hello Stephanie White,
Thanks for the interesting question. Of course the overwhelming
consensus of the large number of  comment on the web are that organic
farms are not experiencing CCD. In terms of academic publications ,
the best available studies come from Europe and these show that
organic farms support bees better than do conventional farms. I have
previously posted such studies  and indicate that the number of such
publications is small but informative.
Since 'A' cause for CCD has not yet been specified by 'authorities'
it is difficult to set up an experiment. Obviously organic farms
studied cannot be close to conventional farms studied as bees travel
as do pesticides.
The evidence from bee molecular genetics is sufficient in showing
deficiency in genes for pesticide defence and a frail immune system.
The synergism between pesticides and fungal parasites or virus in
insects is well published in science literature and the bee's frail
immune system cannot be ignored.
Another year of huge bee losses may lead to irreversible damage to the
honey bee. If we impose the precautionary principle at this time then
the neonicotinoid insecticides  would be banned immediately as would
Bt corn which was shown to influence bee behaviour. Rational
agricultural bureaucrats would have initiated a inventory comparing
bees on conventional vrs  organic farms and  would have placed a
moratorium on pesticides in areas such as the pecan fields in California.
The point I am making is that the countries such as US and Canada who
require proof beyond reasonable doubt that pesticides injure bees or
people seem to be backward, pesticide producers should be proving that
they do not harm bees or people. Those producers use only death as an
endpoint for bees  while pesticide effects on  behaviour and synergism
with parasites  need to be studies.
Sorry for the long answer. I was easy to point out what needs to be
done and hard to see why it is not being done! sincerely, joe cummins

Stephanie White (MSU-CARRS) wrote:
> Dr. Cummins,
> Has it been definitely shown that bees living in chemical pesticide/GMO free
> environments do not experience CCD?
> Thanks, Stephanie White