Neonicotinoid (Nicotine) Pesticides key to Collapse in Bee Populations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bees_Collecting_Pollen_2004-08-14.jpg

“For the German chemical giant Bayer, neonicotinoid pesticides—synthetic derivatives of nicotine that attack insects’ nervous systems—are big business. In 2010, the company reeled in 789 million euros (more than $1 billion) in revenue from its flagship neonic products imidacloprid and clothianidin. The company’s latest quarterly report shows that its "seed treatment" segment—the one that includes neonics—is booming. In the quarter that ended on September 30, sales for the company’s seed treatments jumped 28 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

Such results no doubt bring cheer to Bayer’s shareholders. But for honeybees—whose population has come under severe pressure from a mysterious condition called colony collapse disorder—the news is decidedly less welcome.”

Sources:

Are Pesticides Behind Massive Bee Die-Offs? by Tom Philpott, Jan. 10th, 2012 -

http://motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/01/purdue-study-implicates-bayer-pesticide-bee-die-offs

Purdue Study –

Multiple Routes of Pesticide Exposure for Honey Bees Living Near Agricultural Fields

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029268?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+plosone%2FPlantBiology+%28PLoS+ONE+Alerts%3A+Plant+Biology%29#s3