Insecticides are a hot issue in beekeeping right now and the British Beekeepers Association is refusing to sever its ties with pesticide manufacturers despite pressure from many of its members, and it seems that some recent CCD research has been compromised by the influence of the same corporations, determined to protect their profits no matter what the cost to nature.
The subject of Phil Chandlers latest podcast is Dr Henk Tennekes, who was born in The Netherlands, and after graduating from the Agricultural University of Wageningen in 1974, he performed his Ph.D. work at Shell Research Ltd in the UK. He later worked for 5 years at the Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg, Germany.
The culmination of Dr Tennekes’ research was his recent discovery that the way the neonicotinoid insecticides work has much in common with that of chemical carcinogens – cancer-causing agents.
When he realized the dire consequences of environmental pollution with these insecticides, he decided to write a book to warn the general public about an impending catastrophe.
The title of Dr Tennekes book is: The Systemic Insecticides – a Disaster in the Making. You can read more about him and his book at www.disasterinthemaking.com
This is an issue that should concern all beekeepers, everywhere. Neonicotinoids are being sprayed on a wide range of crops worldwide, and right now they could be putting at risk a number of species of insects, as well as the birds, fish and other creatures that depend on insects for food.
We could just sit back and let this happen. But then, what are you going to tell your grandchildren when they ask, “Where have all the bees gone?”
You can listen to the interview with Henk Tennekes at http://biobees.libsyn.com or search for ‘Barefoot Beekeeper‘ on iTunes.
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