I pasted this on our UK Flow Site but wondered if there are any other UK beeks interested?
Honey Analysis - OK Beeks I need a couple of partners in Crime!
Yes you read that right! - Now I have your attention I do need some help but not criminal from us - actually trying to stop criminal damage from Neonicitinoids.
In this month Bee Craft is an article about the project http://content.yudu.com/A3xwnt/BC1603/resources/index.htm…
If this does not work I will past the page piece
I have a test kit for 5 samples and can only do one from each apiary - I suggest a few of you contact this guy and offer to help and get a kit. Where we have only one apiary or 2 perhaps we can share out kits around and make the research wider and the more results we have the better the study.
So I have 4 testers going spare - pm me your home address and I will send you part of the kit and all the info you need.
We need to get everyone on board for this Please help our Bees
Thanks for posting this, Valli
I would really be interested in the results of this and I was sincerely hoping that they would include OTC garden neonics. I have long wondered how much of these get into urban honey. I once tackled B&Q over the Provado Bug killer for flowering plants and vegetables which contains Thiacloprid. It had a free packet of “Seeds for Bees” attached to it!!!
Their answer was that that particular neonic wasn’t on the banned list.
My mother in law throws this stuff about like water!!! Thank God she doesn’t live anywhere near me.
Sadly the research covers only Bayer’s Clothianidin and Syngenta’s Thiamethoxam used agriculturally.
I hope they post their research for everybody to see.
From the CEH website This research is co-funded by Bayer CropScience AG and Syngenta Crop Protection but controls are in place to ensure the experimental design and the reporting of its research (whatever the outcome) is independent.
The same CPA lobbying for the reintroduction of the banned neonics
The statement doesn’t bode well considering the CPA’s past record on neonic research.
CEH have collated lots of research on Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerant crops including Maize and OSR on behalf of the CPA too though I must own up to not looking too hard for their results.
I figure if we all get on board then we can really make a difference.
Because they wan different Apiary’s for each sample them it seemed a waist not to ask others to share the kit.
They will give you a result for your samples if you ask and to me that is a valuable tool as well.
Yes but only for the agricultural pesticides they are testing for and the absence of these will mean nothing unless you live within foraging distance of OSR fields.
I’m not saying don’t do it but don’t expect any reassurance if you are an urban beekeeper. I wouldn’t expect any contamination of my honey either. My nearest OSR must be a hundred miles away.
Yes but my point is that the only neonics available for garden use are NOT being tested for.[quote=“Valli, post:7, topic:5211”]
This is from 2010 - scroll down for OSR
[/quote]
Interesting maps, thanks.
I wonder how things have changed in five years.
Lots more Maize grown now for biofuel…and of course neonics aren’t banned for cereal crops
I also read an OSR growing file - it said that OSR help with growing other crops so if they are rotating crops old corn crops will have residue of the Neonics used in the soil. These other crops and their residues in the soil will be taken up by the OSR and WOSR - so we are still “reaping” the benefits of the neonics
Yes, there is definite leaching of soil resides into hedgerows. Dave Goulson (of Bumble Bee fame) has shown alarming levels in blooming hawthorn and bramble, for example.
