Colony Collapse Disorder Debunked: Pesticides Cause Bee Deaths

Heidi Stevenson
Natural News
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The great mystery of bee deaths has been solved. Colony Collapse Disorder is poisoning with a known insect neurotoxin. Clothianidin, a pesticide manufactured by Bayer, has been clearly linked to die offs in Germany and France.

Although the bee die offs that have occurred recently are more severe, there have been many in the past from the same and similar products. In North Dakota, a lawsuit is pending against Bayer for the loss of their bees in 1995, the result of spraying rapeseed with Imidacloprid. In 1999, the same product was banned in France for use as a seed dressing for sunflowers when they lost one-third of their hives after widespread spraying. In 2004, it was banned for use on corn. Recently, France refused to approve Bayer’s request to sell Clothianidin.

Clothianidin and Imidacloprid are both members of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. They are well known as insect neurotoxins, especially with regard to bees. The spokesperson for the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, based in Germany, stated, “We have been pointing out the risks of neonicotinoids for almost 10 years now. This proves without a doubt that the chemicals can come into contact with bees and kill them. These pesticides shouldn’t be on the market.”

(Article continues below)

Not a Surprise

That neonicotinoids are potent neurotoxins, especially in insects, is unsurprising. They were developed for precisely that purpose. Bayer says that their use is safe for bees, when used according to instructions. This involves using a glue that keeps the pesticides stuck to the seeds on which they’re used.

There are many problems with this. Agribusiness corporations are known to evade anything that costs them money. The glue costs money. The equipment and personnel required to apply it costs money. More careful pesticide application to try to keep it from becoming airborne costs money. Obviously, both unscrupulous agribusiness farmers and unknowing small farmers — not to mention home gardeners — will, at least occasionally, not use the glue.

Even then, it’s impossible to believe that a fair amount of these pesticides won’t become airborne. Further, their residue will poison the soil. It will be passed on into foods, which means that insects will come into contact with it there.

Full article here

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9 Responses to “Colony Collapse Disorder Debunked: Pesticides Cause Bee Deaths”

1. Simone deMontfort Says:
   July 23rd, 2008 at 2:37 pm

   People are so greedy they try to have their cake & eat it, too. They want the bees to provide a service for them, but poison them to death when they do it. That’s so wrong.

2. Emule Says:
   July 23rd, 2008 at 6:24 pm

   Bayer- isn’t that the same company that says taking their asprin every day will prevent heart attacks?

3. Rob Says:
   July 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm

   Well thats a suprise… not! I don’t suppose there’s anyone available for ‘responsibility’.

4. Norm Says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 1:56 am

   It’s all part of the neocon plan, pull these mf’s out in the street and stone them to death.

5. Jereome Says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 4:18 am

   Bayer is also the company that sold medicine tainted with the AIDS virus to Europe, and colluded with the FDA to cover it up.

   Also wasnt the man that started Bayer a Nazi war criminal that served time in Germany for war crimes or was he sent over here with the rest of the Nazi scientist during operation paperclip?

6. Giant Shadows Says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 5:25 pm

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V5iCUBEUx4
   Do not accept what is happening-

7. MARIA Says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 7:08 pm

   That’s also the same company that purpposly put the HIV Virus in it’s vaccines that it was sending to France and Europe. Check it on YouTube if you don’t believe me. MSNBC covered it.

   Also if this sutff is killing the bees, imagine what it’s doing to us.

8. t Says:
   July 25th, 2008 at 3:41 am

   it’s in the chemtrails. they’re spraying us, and the bees everywhere everyday! kill the bees = kill the food supply… then sell us GM food as the saviour!!

9. MsMadame Says:
   February 2nd, 2009 at 6:45 pm

   There goes the bees next goes the human being.