Finnish study finds neonicotinoids do not harm bees
February 5, 2014
From: Farmers Weekly
Initial findings from a Finnish study on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on field crops suggest they may not cause acute harm to bees.
The Neomehi Project in Finland is studying how neonicotinoid-based insecticides used in the cultivation of spring oilseed rape and spring turnip rape plants affects honeybees.
Based on the first set of test results, researchers said they suggested neonicotinoids do not cause immediate harm to honeybees.
For the study, beehives were positioned in five different locations, each in close proximity to an oilseed field.
The researchers also examined how neonicotinoid-based insecticides affect the apiary’s success. And they analysed neonicotinoid residues in oilseed plants, nectar, pollen, honey and honeybees.
Initially, no connection was found between seed treatment and colony collapse disorder, while the measured amount of chemical residues was fairly small and beneath the risk limit.
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