Insecticides have been specifically designed to kill insects. Bees are insects. Therefore, all insecticides kill bees. End of story. Full stop. An entirely logical deduction but, equally, an entirely flawed one.
In reality, our ability to selectively control pests and diseases, whilst leaving other beneficial insects unharmed, combined with very strict regulatory controls to stop the use of unsuitable chemicals, and complemented with effective stewardship to ensure that people applying such products do so in the best possible way, has led to more food being available, more gardens looking the way the gardener envisaged, and more football pitches lasting the whole season, than ever before.
In nature, insecticides are not unusual. Chrysanthemums are well known for their ability to resist attack by insects by producing pyrethrum. A number of other plants, especially those of the genus Nicotiana, have evolved to resist attack from insects by producing chemicals which stop insects foraging on their leaves; the plants are better known as tobacco, and the chemical is a highly addictive natural product called nicotine.
In agriculture, insect damage is considerable, even in the UK - in the case of flea beetle in oilseed rape, yield losses, even in normal years, can be as high as 20%.
In the search for more effective ways of insect management, scientists have looked at natural products and attempted to improve upon them. Hence, natural pyrethrums were replaced by more effective new versions called pyrethroids. Likewise, scientists also looked at nicotine's mode of action. It was found that the "nicotine receptor" could be blocked by other nicotine-like compounds which were dubbed neonicotinoids. The advantage of both types of insecticide was their select effectiveness against certain insects in crops, coupled with a very low mammalian toxicity.
Running parallel to such scientific endeavours, the concerns about the indiscriminate use of insecticides, and pesticides in general, have led to a very sophisticated regulation system in the UK.
Regulatory Approval of Insecticides
Getting a new product to the market is extremely difficult, routinely taking ten years from the time that someone has observed that a compound has an effect on an insect, to the first sale of that compound. On average, the cost of doing so is £200 million, this having gone up by approximately 70
% in the last ten years. The success rate of bringing a product to the market is currently one in 150,000, down from one in 38,000 in the 1980s, and one in 10,000 in the 1960s; the vast majority of the cost and rate of success is a direct result of the need to test for, and satisfy the demands of ever increasing regulatory aspects for human and environmental safety. Some of the aspects to be investigated are highlighted in Box 1.
Whether or not a pesticide passes these tests is also a long process, involving an assessment by the European Food Safety Authority and an in-depth analysis to decide whether its use is appropriate within the UK. Essentially, all of the results are evaluated by government scientists at the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD), a part of the Health and Safety Executive, who then make a recommendation to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), a committee made up of independent medical, academic and other experts. By unanimous decision, this committee makes recommendations to Ministers who will grant an approval as appropriate.
So, in agriculture, those products which have a high intrinsic issue with bees are not normally allowed to be registered for use as a spray on flowering crops where bees will be foraging. On the other hand, they may be eminently suitable as a seed treatment, since beneficial insects such as bees will never come into contact with sufficient concentrations of the insecticide to pose any insect health issues. Hence, imidacloprid and clothianidin neonicotinoid containing products are used as agricultural seed treatments. Conversely, thiacloprid, which is a neonicotinoid with a very positive bee health profile, can be used as a spray in the field, even on flowering plants.
Thus, when Bayer CropScience developed Provado Lawn Grub Control to reduce the destructive presence of cranefly larvae and leatherjackets in lawns, the regulatory authorities will have reviewed the information and determined that, since this product was to be used on mown grass, where there are essentially zero foraging opportunities for nectar seeking insects, the use of imidacloprid was entirely appropriate.
Bee Health
It is clear that honey bee health is in serious decline in the UK, Europe and North America, and that this is linked with severe infestations of a parasitic mite called 
Varroa destructor. Ironically, one of the best treatments for controlling this pest, up to now, has been a selective insecticide, such as Bayverol, a product produced by Bayer Animal Health. Unfortunately, in many cases, the Varroa mite has become resistant to this type of treatment, in the same way as some weeds become resistant to some weedkillers, and how some bacteria become resistant to some antibiotics.
In addition to Varroa, there are a number of viral and fungal diseases that are damaging bee colonies throughout the UK. Exacerbating this are other parasites, such as Nosema, which can reduce the lifespan of an infected young bee by nearly 80%.
While the decline in honey bee health is often billed as a global problem, there are countries that have relatively good bee health - Australia for example, which is free of Varroa. Countries that use the Africanised honey bee, rather than the European types, in Africa and South America, also have better bee health because the Africanised bee is better adapted to the presence of Varroa mites.
Neonicotinoid Insecticides and Seed Treatments
Despite being approved for use across the world as a safe and appropriate method for pest management when used as directed, some groups and individuals have suggested that the use of neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid, in a seed treatment may have issues when it comes to bee safety.
So, what are seed treatments? They involve putting a layer of a pesticide on the surface of a seed, which then protects the seed and the young plant as it grows. Farmers prefer this to crop sprays because it is more effective, reduces the number of sprays, reducing the impact on non-target species inhabiting adjacent areas. All this has contributed to almost the entire oilseed rape crop in the UK being treated via its seeds.
The argument against seed treatment with neonicotinoids stems from laboratory studies that show that low doses have an impact on bees. It extrapolates from such results that, although the insecticide will not kill the bee or colony outright, it somehow weakens the bee, or diminishes its overall health. Such arguments have, sometimes, put political pressure on policymakers in some countries to make rapid decisions without real scientific evidence, for example, in the case of imidacloprid in France (see Box 2).
In reality, pesticide regulators are well aware of potential effects in the laboratory and, where they are found, further studies are demanded to determine what happens under realistic conditions in the field before such products can be commercialised. Likewise, it is important to note that the commercialisation of a product is not the end of the story - the updating of the regulatory files is a continuous process, and will take into account any new scientific evidence that comes to light.
So, in the case of this class of insecticides, there have been numerous tests done post-registration, including four large 'multifactorial' studies in the US, Belgium, France and Germany, in which all the possible issues concerning bee safety have been analysed under real field conditions. In all such studies, poor bee health correlates well with the presence of Varroa and bee diseases, but there is little correlation with the use of neonicotinoids.
This does not stop some people blaming insecticide use, of course, and recent newspaper headlines continue to put neonicotinoids into the spotlight. But, as one researcher whose work had been misquoted said in response to suggestions that his work definitely showed a link between bee health and insecticide use, "It is not possible to make a direct comparison with a lab study and what might occur in the field," and that the results "do not provide a direct link to [bee] colony losses..."
Conclusion
Bee losses are occurring in both the UK and elsewhere in the world, and their root causes have to be managed to safeguard this economically important pollinator. Whilst bee losses do not seem to correlate with the use of insecticides, farmers should handle them properly; indeed the industry has recently launched a campaign highlighting the need to "bee careful" when using insecticides for any reason. Likewise, companies such as Bayer CropScience have recently announced joint research programme with Bayer Animal Health to bring to the market new products to control the Varroa mite, a basic tool to manage bee health in the UK.
We believe that tackling the root causes of a problem is the most responsible way forward for us to take - just blaming the nearest chemical whenever there is a problem is not.
With thanks to Dr Julian Little, Communications & Government Affairs Manager, Bayer CropScience Limited.
6 Jul 2011 by John Harding
In response to Dr. Julian Little
My name is John Harding and I have found the answer and solution to stop honeybees dying.
It is nothing to do with any man-made product.
Honeybees were dying before the Varroa mite, Pesticides, Mobile Phones, GM crops, Global Warming or whatever you care to mention was manufactured or thought of.
Below, in two parts are the reasons why.
First part is an extract from my book.
The second part is from a proof copy leaflet that was presented by myself to all delegates of the International Bee Research Association (IBRA) Conference held in the UK on the 29th January 2011.
Please enjoy reading and then realise honeybees have been dying for centuries, not just recently.
First part; (Extract from my book)
I am sure you are aware of the plight of the honeybee worldwide.
Beekeepers need an answer. Initially apiarist worldwide was putting the blame for the honeybee demise on the doorstep of the Chemical and Mobile Phone Industries.
Honeybees are dying out at an alarming rate with no one knowing why. Pesticides, CCD, GM crops, Climate change, Mobiles, Global warming or perhaps someone or something to blame would be acceptable to everyone.
There are many possibilities being put forward but as yet, no answers.
The parasitic mite called Varroa is not helping matters with its contribution.
However there are two common denominators why honeybees are dying worldwide. A short explanation first.
Chemical companies are investing millions worldwide in Universities, Scientists, Professors, Doctors, Institutes, Beekeeping Organisations and whoever, so they just might find a chemical or bacterial answer for the parasitic mite called Varroa that is sweeping the continents devastating honeybees. Mobile Phone Companies are in denial not wanting the blame.
Chemical companies need an answer whether it is one or the other so they may recoup their investment and profit from beekeepers worldwide in selling their product.
Was Albert Einstein right in his alleged statement? “If honeybees die out then mankind will follow 4 years later” the chances are that it won't be 4 years due to other foods such as rice being available but it will happen eventually as honeybees do pollinate 35% of what we eat.
Once honeybees are gone, honeybees are gone for good!
I am a beekeeper of 30 years` experience, keeping up to 300 beehives, until 6 years ago. I have invented beekeeping equipment in that time that I am proud to say, does bare my name, “The Harding Queen Rearing System using Two Queens” and “The Harding Mini Nucleus Complete System” (as seen on the website for BIBBA). These are an inclusion of my book, Chapter Three & Five.
During my life's work things happen and you wonder at nature, how perfect is the honeybee micro-world, why would you want to change it and yet mankind unknowingly has changed the honeybees perfect 200 million year existence to what mankind wants.
My beekeeping puzzle is based on observation, common sense and logic over the past 30 years with each piece complimenting the next, eventually creating a picture and discovering;
“The answer and solution to the Holy Grail of beekeeping”.
I have always thought there was a natural way to treat the parasitic mite Varroa. After 18 years without treatment of any chemicals or sugar in my hives I have found the answer and it is a “World Exclusive!“
It didn't start with the Varroa mite 20 years ago, what the Varroa mite did was escalate the problem to what beekeepers had done worldwide, but it did bring it to the attention of the media and mainstream public in the last few years, causing an over re-action due to Albert Einstein’s alleged quote.
Honeybees started dying out when man found honey, tens of thousands of years ago, when man wanted to domesticate honeybees to harvest honey, putting them into logs, boxes, skeps eventually beehives but taking them away from their natural source of survival and requirements, which keeps their delicate micro-environment alive.
The first common denominator for the demise of honeybees is………
Mankind!....YES! Beekeepers now, and in the past, to the very first one!
So what is the second common denominator?
“I have found a natural phenomenon, the bees need the combination to survive to complete their micro-existent world, and is free. I am the first person in the world to combine honeybees with this phenomenon, so you can imagine how the chemical companies are going to react after spending millions around the globe“.
“I have approached Universities and Beekeeping Organisations here, in the UK, and abroad, with my hypothesis but due to the infiltration of funding from chemical companies or others, Universities, Scientist, Professors or Scholars are unable to take my hypothesis due to inevitably losing their precious funding and being biased to a chemical or bacterial answer”.
Yes! It is topical, political and controversial! One single person taking on the might of a billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry and the Hierarchy of the Beekeeping World with every beekeeper past and present being the reason for their demise and the answer being a natural phenomenon which is free to everyone.
CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) in the USA is also down to mankind for the demise of their honeybees having the same problems as us but with one extra reason that is only in the USA.
Whatever you think after you have read my book, I will not be popular with any beekeeper, scientist, professor or anyone looking for a chemical or bacterial answer, but may, just may, stop honeybees dying out worldwide.
That will be pleasing in itself. I am just a passionate beekeeper that has found an answer and solution. My book is a small part of the invisible world of the mysterious honeybee that is disappearing too quickly.
"Albert Einstein did not say that famous quote about mankind dying out. It was a misquote from Albert “N” Stein an American beekeeper of the same era as Albert Einstein. However with accent, dialect and poor communication at that time it was misunderstood".
Second part; (IBRA Conference)
An HOLISTIC Way in Saving The “Honeybee”
Available from
Northern Bee Books UK
"http://www.groovycart.co.uk/beebooks"
For discussion at the International Bee Research Association (IBRA) Conference
held at the University Of Worcester on the 29th January 2011.
Varroa-still a problem in the 21st century?
Introduction
My name is John Harding, I have kept, researched, experimented, observed and used logic and common sense in trying to keep as much to nature as possible while keeping honeybees. During the last 30 years I have invented bee equipment that does bare my name. I have not used sugar or chemicals for the past 18 years, due to the first approved licensed treatments killing a percentage of my queens.
I hoped that one day I would find a natural remedy for the parasitic mite Varroa.
This, I have now done.
Explanation
We know that honeybees have been on this planet for 100 to 200 million years depending which book you read, so honeybees have evolved with planet earth. This has brought with it changing climates, polarity change, a change in continents with moving earth plates and a change in flora. In all that time honeybees have been dealing with disease, mites, intruders and any other alien insect or animal, even man.
Habitat
During this time, their home has been in hollow trees, caves or covered protected position so they may get away from draughts, rain or severe weather to build their amazing honeycomb nest that is kept to an accurate temperature +or-1 degree to raise their numbers required for survival both in summer and winter.
Mankind
Thousands of years ago man found honey. Due to the honeybees perilous home positions being high in a cave or high up in a tree, man decided to re-home the honeybee into logs, boxes, skeps and then beehives so as to make it easier to harvest honey. A form of domestication.
Has Man made a difference?....................NO!
Except for realising a unique space (Langstroth) that honeybees respect, meaning we as beekeepers can inspect our colonies with frames rather than killing off the bees, that were kept in a skep, then held over a sulphur pit to kill the bees just to get the honey. This observation only happened 150 years ago. Queen excluders were also invented.
Are there any other major discoveries?....................YES!
Eddie Woods (a BBC sound engineer) discovered 60 years ago inside the honeybee nest that vibration levels was measured between 190hertz and 250hertz during normal conditions however when swarming this vibration went up to 300hertz.
Was any scientific work carried out at the time or later?...................NO!
If it had we could be further along the path of understanding the honeybee better. Beekeeping today is much the same as it was in the beginning except of course the Langstroth frame space and Queen excluder.
Have Beekeeping books changed?........................NO!
Except for the amount of knowledge that we have now gained about the mysterious honeybee, it always seems to be repetition but more in depth, more of a scientific language.
Can we still learn from the honeybee?....................YES!................HOW?
Using observation, common sense and logic and asking “What do honeybees really want?”. They did not ask to be put into a box or beehive.
However, while in our care, we, as beekeepers, should give them and treat them as if they were in a wild state of nature.
We know they want and use vibration.(Woods)
We know they will respect a unique space.(Langstroth)
We know they use electromagnetic north/south in honeycomb building and in flight.
We know with a strong colony, disease and varroa can be kept to a minimum.
We also know with a colony of strength our rewards of honey is greater.
So! What do honeybees really want?...........VIBRATION!.......... How is it generated?
At the moment by the honeybees themselves and they use this to communicate, to ward off predators and to keep their micro existent climate to a perfect temperature of 96 degrees fahrenheit plus or minus 1 degree when rearing brood (young larvae), but is this amount of vibration sufficient? Unfortunately NO!
Can it be found elsewhere?............YES!......................Planet Earth (NASA)
Planet earth has evolved, so trees, animals, plants, fish, birds and insects has evolved with it and so too, honeybees, evolving with planet earth. Which is why honeybees not only need a high vibration of 250hertz to sustain their microenvironment but actively look for it when swarming.
How could man know this?
You cannot see, feel, touch or sense this low vibration but honeybees can.
Planet earth vibrates constantly at 7.83hertz (NASA) unless disturbed.
Honeybees use vibration to get their microclimate between 190htz & 250htz (Woods).
Honeybees are placed by man in a beehive where man wants it, if this is on 7.83htz honeybees have to work 31.9 times greater to get to their normal vibration levels just to stand still. I have reason to believe this weakens their immune system and defence mechanism becoming an easy target for any alien predators like Varroa.
Now, not being able to cope, over-stressed, disorder with eventual collapse, dying or disappearance is inevitable.
Does planet earth vibrate at this higher level of 250htz?..............YES!
Transmitted upwards through underground rivers.
These rivers are everywhere around the planet, like, i.e.; blood vessels in our own body. Remember it has taken 4 billion years to get to where we are today. Everything has evolved together to be where it is and why it is there for a reason. The climate, planet earth and logic has dictated that.
Where does the higher earth vibration come from and how?
Planet earths normal vibration of 7.83htz gets interrupted by hollow chambers of running water/fluid creating friction allowing oscillation to resonate to become an Electromagnetic Wave Vibration which will increase it up to and above 250htz.
Sound familiar? (The same vibration that honeybees require)
The rivers/lines of fluid are normally very close to each other varying in depth and only being up to 4 feet wide, like a cobweb, zig zagging their way across the planet at depths of 200 feet or 300 feet creating vibration and rising upwards to the surface and skywards, creating an electromagnetic curtain that reaches to approximately 30,000 feet. (Birds use this curtain to migrate thousands of miles).
I.e. There are 14 rivers/lines in my 3 bed detached house and 80 foot garden, so they are not miles apart.
What is the connection of honeybee vibration 250hertz and Earth vibration 250hertz?
We know that honeybees maintain 250htz vibration within their nests(Woods). It is just too much of a coincidence, using logic that bees are drawn to planet earth 250htz vibration when they swarm. Honeybees have evolved together with planet earth over millions of years so is using the higher earth vibration, which is compatible, giving honeybees less work to do, in getting to their optimum micro-existent environment.
Honeybees need this higher vibration so they work 31.9 times less. Then are able to deal with any unwelcome intruders, like the Varroa mite, hence why honeybees are drawn to it in various ways.
Are other species attracted to the higher vibration?..............YES!
All Honeybees, Wasps, Bumble bees, Ants, Cats, Oak trees and much, much more are all attracted to and found above earths higher vibration. All organism are attracted to or repelled from these lines of high or low vibration.
Are honeybees drawn to Planet Earth higher vibration? YES! In various ways.
Swarms
Yes, every time they swarm. Honeybees always settle above a 250htz line. This has been checked on every swarm collected, about 30, in the past 3 years.
Bait hives
All bait hives placed above a line attracted a swarm.
Abandoned hives
Whenever I was called out to inspect abandoned hives there was always one beehive above a line. This was the only hive with bees in and thriving. The others had died.
Self selection
Apiaries were left for 4 years to ascertain for self selection. After this time the only hives that survived, with little or no varroa were above a line, all the others had died.
Varroa resistant strain
In my early days of queen rearing I too thought I had a resistant strain only to find out every one that showed these qualities was above a line. I could not understand why they were so poor when moved to a new site, having shown perfect qualities when in the original site.(This was before I knew about the lines). Any beekeeper that thinks he/she has a Varroa resistant strain. I can guarantee will always be above a line.
Feral Colonies
They have not been killed off by Varroa, it was an assumption, not scientific. Beekeepers are to blame by putting hives in the wrong place where they die out with Varroa, so no swarms or feral colonies. Feral colonies are still out there surviving. Reduced in numbers, yes, but they are always found above a line. These feral colonies should never be moved unless insisted upon by the homeowner. They will die if moved or taken and put in the wrong position by man then overdosed by Varroa.
Sheffield University
I was invited by Ricarda Kather to explain my hypothesis, while there I checked their apiary without any prior knowledge not knowing which was the best or worst beehive as all looked identical. These I believe were used for Varroa hygiene. I found the two best beehives that gave the best hygienic results. These were above a line.
Observations.
Hygienic behaviour
My apiaries have not changed during my beekeeping so observations have been made pre-lines, for queen rearing selection. During all these years Cleanliness, Varroa Resistance, Hygiene and Grooming have always been noticed to be far better than others within the same apiary not realising they were on a line.
Honeybees can deal with Varroa when above a line.
Honey yield
When above a line the honey yield is always 2 or 3 times greater.
Queens
These colonies have tended to supersede rather than swarm. Clearly they are in the right place so why swarm?
This does beg the question “Is swarming induced by man?” being put in the wrong place by man. How long have honeybees been trying to tell us?
Case studies
Case study 1 (within the same apiary)
Take 2 hives of similar size and queen (“A/B“), both infected with Varroa, place “A” above a line, place “B” away from the line.
Hive A; within 6 to 8 weeks this hive will have very little Varroa or none at all and thriving requiring supers.
Hive B; after 6 to 8 weeks will still be heavily infected with Varroa and much weaker.
Next season reverse these same two hives (if B is still alive) You will observe B becomes Varroa free and A is infected with Varroa.
If you can use 2 apiaries within the same year, but far enough apart, the above exchange can be done after 3 months.
Case study 2 (within the same apiary)
Take 2 hives of similar size and queen (“C/D”), both infested with Varroa, place “C” above a line, place “D” away from the line.
Hive C; within 6 to 8 weeks this hive will have very little or no Varroa (above as A).
Hive D will be as B, heavily infected with Varroa.
After 3 months change over the queens from C and D, becoming CD and DC.
CD; You would imagine CD would improve D to be Varroa free, not so, it carries on being infected with Varroa. DC; Is still Varroa free.
“I have used these case studies on countless occasions, with many infected hives, and the results always being the same”
Conclusion for both case studies..........It is not strain or queen quality but position to where and what the beehive is placed above, an Electromagnetic Geopathic Stress Line that vibrates at 250hertz. Geopathic stress lines once found can be verified by using a simple compass, it will show a 10 degree disparity from normal.
Metal structures appear to influence these vibrations so it is not advisable to use metal stands or put beehives above a metal structure such as a building.
Another question. Is it the honeybees dealing with Varroa or Varroa not liking the higher vibration? This is where I need a University or Chemical Company for funding to help or carry on in finding many more answers!
There will always be questions, especially to a way forward.
(I have the answer for that to).
This is just one important question answered to stop honeybees dying.
Thank you for reading my hypothesis which is in my book and available with the answer to Saving The Honeybee and the way forward.
An HOLISTIC Way in Saving The “Honeybee”
VARROA-STILL A PROBLEM IN THE 21ST CENTURY? NOT ANY MORE!
John Harding
Copyright John Harding 2009
harding@clavies.freeserve.co.uk 07974121472 or 01384423557.
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"We believe that tackling the root causes of a problem is the most responsible way forward for us to take - just blaming the nearest chemical whenever there is a problem is not"
% in the last ten years. The success rate of bringing a product to the market is currently one in 150,000, down from one in 38,000 in the 1980s, and one in 10,000 in the 1960s; the vast majority of the cost and rate of success is a direct result of the need to test for, and satisfy the demands of ever increasing regulatory aspects for human and environmental safety. Some of the aspects to be investigated are highlighted in Box 1.
Varroa destructor. Ironically, one of the best treatments for controlling this pest, up to now, has been a selective insecticide, such as Bayverol, a product produced by Bayer Animal Health. Unfortunately, in many cases, the Varroa mite has become resistant to this type of treatment, in the same way as some weeds become resistant to some weedkillers, and how some bacteria become resistant to some antibiotics.
The argument against seed treatment with neonicotinoids stems from laboratory studies that show that low doses have an impact on bees. It extrapolates from such results that, although the insecticide will not kill the bee or colony outright, it somehow weakens the bee, or diminishes its overall health. Such arguments have, sometimes, put political pressure on policymakers in some countries to make rapid decisions without real scientific evidence, for example, in the case of imidacloprid in France (see Box 2).
This does not stop some people blaming insecticide use, of course, and recent newspaper headlines continue to put neonicotinoids into the spotlight. But, as one researcher whose work had been misquoted said in response to suggestions that his work definitely showed a link between bee health and insecticide use, "It is not possible to make a direct comparison with a lab study and what might occur in the field," and that the results "do not provide a direct link to [bee] colony losses..."
