Blaming Loss of Bees on Pesticides
Isn't Based on Sound Science

Letter to the Editor of the Los Angeles Times

8/7/08

          This letter is in response to an article in your newspaper titled “Buzzzzz Kill” written by environmental attorney Al Meyerhoff on July 30.
          The author is quick to point out that chemical products of the neonicotinoids family may be causing the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that has resulted in the loss of billions of bees. This position actually is a gross oversimplification of an ongoing problem that has left scientists baffled as to its cause. To blame pesticides as being solely responsible for CCD is not backed up by scientific proof.
           Actually, the consensus among experts within university research centers and scientific agricultural circles is that the cause of CCD remains unknown. A recent study has indicated that there may be a link to a bee disease called Israeli acute paralysis virus. Many researchers believe the problem is due to colony stress, brought on by the frequent transport of honey bee colonies within the U.S. (often coast to coast). Others believe the problem is due to a complex of factors associated with bee diseases, parasitic infestations, nutrition, potential exposure to undetermined chemicals, extreme environmental or climatic factors and poor apicultural practices.
           Much work is being done within the federal government and academia, primarily to determine the cause of this bee malady. The lead government researcher, Jeff Pettis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is at the forefront of the research and reported on a recent TV segment of “60 Minutes” that nothing definite has been determined at this time to link CCD to pesticides or any other sole culprit. Unless author Al Meyerhoff has a crystal ball into the future, his unfounded accusations remain just that – his unsubstantiated opinion.