Concerning neonicotinoids, “few adverse impacts have been observed at doses to which pollinators might be exposed in the field – with the exception of those well-documented cases in several European countries and in Canada of bee mortality caused by acute exposure of bees to neonicotinoid dusts generated during planting of insecticide-coated maize seed”. That is an important conclusion of a report from APVMA, the official Australian Safety Agency.
Moreover, according to APVMA, “Neonicotinoids appear to be less frequently involved in bee poisoning incidents than many other insecticide classes eg. pyrethroids, carbamates and organophosphorus insecticides”
APVMA listed all the possible causes of bees decline : varroa mite, nosema fungus, other mites, insects, fungi, bacterias or viruses, stresses related to environmental and climate changes, malnutrition, lack of genetic diversity, pesticides, migratory beekeeping, beekeeping practices, including the application of chemical miticides and antibiotics, electromagnetic radiation, GMO…
Their recommendations :
– Managing the release of neonicotinoid seed-treatment dusts at planting
– Surveillance of bee poisoning incidents
– Residue monitoring for pesticide residues in bee media (wax, pollen, ..)
– Holding a national information symposium