Did anybody catch the spot on NBC Nightly news

Riggs · May 11, 2012, 12:57:30 PM

Was on last night, any thoughts?

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/47379683/#47379683

Seanmhair · May 11, 2012, 01:06:39 PM

Yep, my husband hollered for me to come see it!

yockey5 · May 11, 2012, 02:09:01 PM

Of course they deny any connection!

Riggs · May 11, 2012, 02:15:23 PM

Quote from: yockey5 on May 11, 2012, 02:09:01 PM
Of course they deny any connection!

That's what I was thinking.

Larry Bees · May 11, 2012, 03:29:25 PM

Thanks for posting this. Larry

jataylor · May 11, 2012, 05:34:34 PM

I'm a new bee keeper in a suburban environment and worry that homeowners are more concerned about pesticides for their lawns and that my bees will suffer. It was a good piece as far as it went, but there's more to the story. Thanks for posting.

AllenF · May 11, 2012, 05:44:28 PM

I remember back when I was young and the corn we planted was coated them as now. Back when beekeeping was easy.

D Coates · May 11, 2012, 06:10:54 PM

Uhhh, 1 kernel of corn can kill 10,000 bees? Says whom? What proof is there? That glittering jewel of ignorance report passed for news? So to kill of a 60,000 strong colony all I have to do is drop in 6 corn kernels? If it was that easy it would have been scientifically proven with great ease and removed from the market. This has been a yet to be proven claim for years. "If there was a dandelion, there was a bee on it, they have gone down in numbers." Completely unproven anecdotal corelation with this story at the very best.

It must have been a VERY slow news day that they dusted off this piece for. Before they go screaming the "sky if falling" wait until there are some scientifically accepted findings to review otherwise this is another wild goose chase that jades many from believing anything like this pap.

kingbee · May 11, 2012, 06:54:50 PM

The only thing that NBC could do to top this piece of reporting is to produce a special claiming that the Earth is flat.

deknow · May 11, 2012, 07:06:48 PM

Quote from: D Coates on May 11, 2012, 06:10:54 PM
Uhhh, 1 kernel of corn can kill 10,000 bees? Says whom? What proof is there?

...actually, that number appears to be reasonably accurate. My recollection is that 10ng/bee is considered toxic, and there is up to 1mg of imidacloprid/corn kernel (I know, it seemed high to me also).

deknow

splitrock · May 11, 2012, 08:42:33 PM

The seed is coated with the neonicotinoid poison and is somewhat sticky. Talc powder is also introduced so seed feeds through planter. Dust from planting now contains poison and dusts whatever the wind carries it too.

Dead and dying bees were picked up from an apiary and examined at Purdue university last year. It was the poison coating the seed that was the culprit.

Retired local beek I know claimed his bees usually wintered around here fine, had most of his losses April, and May,..... planting time.

Only someone with their head in the sand can deny a connection.

Joel

AllenF · May 11, 2012, 09:26:44 PM

In 1984, we planted the whole field in corn and had just tons of honey that year, with the hives right there by the corn. We did not start losing bees recently (after mites) until 5 or so years ago.

mulesii · May 12, 2012, 02:22:31 PM

Quote from: D Coates on May 11, 2012, 06:10:54 PM
Uhhh, 1 kernel of corn can kill 10,000 bees? Says whom? What proof is there? That glittering jewel of ignorance report passed for news? So to kill of a 60,000 strong colony all I have to do is drop in 6 corn kernels? If it was that easy it would have been scientifically proven with great ease and removed from the market. This has been a yet to be proven claim for years. "If there was a dandelion, there was a bee on it, they have gone down in numbers." Completely unproven anecdotal corelation with this story at the very best.

It must have been a VERY slow news day that they dusted off this piece for. Before they go screaming the "sky if falling" wait until there are some scientifically accepted findings to review otherwise this is another wild goose chase that jades many from believing anything like this pap.

I am one who believes the media inflates and creates news to gain a TV audience, but in this case they may be on to something. I believe that they may be on to something.

"In terms of acute toxicity (based on the oral LD50 of 2.8 ng/bee [23]), the amount of clothianidin on a single maize seed at the rate of 0.5 mg/kernel contains enough active ingredient to kill over 80,000 honey bees." this is a quote from a study done at Purdue University. I would consider this emperical evidence, not a "... completely unproven anecdotal corelation (sic) ...". Athough perhaps it was a very slow day at the University, maybe during a semester break, when the researchers compiled the data.