What a great video!
A couple of points I like to make:
1) We need to keep the pressure on the Neonic manufactures to produce better products.
2) The planting of fence rows to aid wildlife is unwise. They are a very narrow strip of land that is bombarded with chemicals. They capture the dust from plantings, loaded with poisons. They catch the drift from the aerial and ground spraying of poisons.
I plant my fence rows. Depending on which way the wind is blowing on the day of planting only one of four of those fence rows will receive any significant dust from the seed coatings.
While I do not approve of the Neonics, I do believe they are WAY better than the spraying that used to occur. I have witnessed the so called "Bloom" first hand. Many would have you believe it is a mushroom cloud rising into the sky visible for hundreds of miles. It isn't, and often is not visible at all, or is not discernible from the normal dust kicked up. Another factor is that when plantings usually occur, the ground has enough moisture that there is very little dust emitted during the process. From dry ground or from the dust created by all those seeds rubbing together. The planter injects the seed into the ground. With just a little moisture it seems to trap most of it right where it hits the dirt.
While I did not have my OWN bees when the planes used to spray every field for corn borers I did help care for hives, and there was almost Always a short decline of population that quickly rebounded. I have not noticed ANY decline with the coated seeds. Most of my hives are within a few feet of fields. Less than three steps in some instances.
Understand, I am not defending Systemic pesticides. I would really love it if I didn't have to rotate my comb out so often, but I am saying that current systems are better than the older ones.
So.. given the choice of planting sources of pollen and nectar in the fence rows and drainage ditches, or having Nothing for the bees... which should be chosen?
Not coming down on you Ray, just pointing out what I have seen and experienced. It may be different in your neck of the woods?
