Infectious Myth - Kill bees, kill us - 08/12/14

Episode 25 is not talking about killer bees, but about bee killers, the neo-nicotinoid systemic pesticides that most knowledgeable people outside the chemical manufacturers are blaming for colony collapse disorder. 

David’s guest is Dave Hackenberg,  who owns a company that trucks large numers of honeybee colonies around the United States to pollinate crops, when and where they are needed. They talk about the importance of bees to many crops in the United States that will not produce seed without a pollinator, and how the concept of a systemic pesticide fills the entire plant with poison, including the nectar and pollen that feed the bee.

Dave Hackenberg got serious about this problem when he lost 80% of his hives in the 2006 season, and his research led him to believe that neonicotinoids were the cause. Since then he has lobbied tirelessly, and awareness of this problem is certainly growing, thanks to him, other bee-keepers, environmentalists, and a few researchers who are brave enough to withstand attacks from the chemical companies.

Politics is a big problem, and with industrial agriculture lobbyists funding so many politicians, getting political action is difficult. Even supposedly neutral agencies like the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and USDA (US Department of Agriculture) appear to be acting mostly in the interests of the chemical and seed companies. There are several lawsuits against the EPA and other government organizations for rushed and inadequate approval of pesticides.