Have just came across an article which has been reported on by the BBC News in relation to researchers at the University of Dundee who have found that a combination of pesticides commonly used by farmers can interfere with bees' brains.
The team discovered links between the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and another type of pesticide - coumaphos (used to kill the Varroa Mite)- harmed the insects' ability to learn.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-21956724 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-21956724)
Kevin
Very interesting,thank you for posting. Good luck to you this year.
one more reason to stop treating bees with chemicals. this isn't really surprising.