On Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:31:54 +0200, Martin wrote:


'If' I've heard right, something called neonicotinoids (sp) are to be
banned. Does anyone know what products will disappear from garden centre
shelves?

Quite a lot will be banned or modified but, in my opinion, that won't
be such a bad thing. I have been gardening without pesticides for
years and I'm quite pleased with the results.

You don't grow 200 acres of rape seed or anything else for a living
do you?

I am sure you would agree that pressure should be maintained on Bayer
et al to design/manufacture pesticides that do not have potentially
adverse side effects on wildlife, particularly on something as
valuable to plant life as the bee.

Tests should be done in a scientific manner, not driven by the press
and ill informed TV programmes wanting something dramatic to report.

Absolutely. Is there any evidence that the tests are not being done
in a scientific manner? As far as I was aware the research into
neonicotinoid side effects was raised during research into bee colony
losses in Europe dating back at least 5 years and people like Neumann
have a sound reputation. Whilst the news media may have picked up on
various aspects of this more recently I really do not think that they
will have had much impact on the research - the politics are of course
a different matter.
--
rbel