Anonymous public comment

Neonicotinoids are suspected to be a major cause of recent honeybee die-off. Last year (2012) as many as half the hives kept by commercial beekeepers died. This loss has created a crisis among fruit and vegetable growers, who depend on bees to pollinate their crops. Indeed, this loss impacts us all as it concerns our food supply. Before the increased use of neonicotinoids beekeepers managed to keep their hives relatively healthy despite many stressors. However, when neonicotinoid use started increasing in 2005, bee colonies started dying in increasing numbers. Scientists have demonstrated that exposure to these chemicals damages bees' brain function, including their ability to home in on the hive. The connection between neonicotinoid use and bee health needs more study. I strongly urge further study of thiamethoxam, one of the most widely used neonicotinoids. Bees are essential to modern agriculture. There is no replacing them, and no substitute of any meaningful kind. The manufacturers' bland assurances seems empty in the face of this long-term die-off and the potential consequences to our food supply.