600 Hives Dead

[40 Acre Bees]

http://dailynativenews.site/2018/03/37-million-bees-found-dead-after-planting-large-gmo-corn-field

[treeman4646]

Boy, that's some bit of scary news...
I goggled it and found though that it sounds like it's is a story from 2012 that had been re-posted on and off.
I just started keeping last year and am hoping to expand my little yard if the ordered nucs ever get ready with this stupid Spring weather.
There's a guy about 1/2 mile up the road from me that has been growing probably about 150 acres of corn and he just bought another 60 acres or so to do just that. I hope my efforts don't go in the toilet...
There seems to be some conflicting information about GMO's and even neonicotinoids. Some say they're bad, some say no problem... I gotta think it probably depends on who pays for the research.
I'd have to say though that any poisons can't be good...
Just my 2 cents...

[efmesch]

While it's important to report on news of this nature, I find the article to be poorly written to the extent of being confusing and misleading.
The implication from the headline and the opening of the article seems to be that the bees were dying because of GMO corn.  Only later does the issue of "Neonics" enter the picture and the distinction between the two (GMO corn and Neonicotinoids) is glossed over not very clearly pointing out the differences between the two. 
After reading the article, it still isn't clear just in which direction to point the finger of blame.  My personal opinion is that a disservice has been done, providing alarmist news rather that educational news.

[brooksbeefarm]

I grow sweet corn and one field is about 20 ft. from some hives. Bees will work the tossel's on the sweet corn but rarly see them on field corn, from what i've read and been told is that bees only get pollen off of corn and it's not good pollen? I'm not read on GMO's. but i don't buy plants that are grown in them. Jack

[riverbee]

jack, i am surrounded by acres of field corn, like you, we have very rarely seen the bees on the field corn, and from everything i have read about the pollen produced from field corn, it is not beneficial to the bees. we do have other blooming plants and pollen sources typically through the season so sources of beneficial pollen are more available to them than the field corn.

thanks ef for your perspective.