[Pollinator] Recent review of pesticide toxicity to bees?

[Rufus Isaacs]

Pollinator Enthusiasts:

I am an entomology extension specialist in Michigan, heading rapidly toward 
bloom of our blueberry crop. With the CCD issue in the news, there are many 
questions from these fruit growers who are concerned how they will 
pollinate their crop and what they can use to control their pests without 
risking the pollinators they depend on. While some insecticides have proven 
safety to bees (e.g. Bacillus thuringiensis products), the past 10 years 
have seen registration of many new chemical classes that fall in a grey 
area - safe when dry, systemic but safe when applied after bloom, etc. 
There is a significant need for an unbiased review of the current state of 
knowledge regarding lethal and especially sub-lethal effects of the new 
insecticide classes on honeybees, bumblebees, and other native bees.

I'm sure such a review would identify many gaps in our knowledge, and maybe 
such a document is already published. Is there a current review, or does 
anyone on this list know of someone working on this? If not, it would be a 
valuable contribution to prepare this information for the scientific, 
grower, and public audiences. An updated of Johansen and Mayer's 1990 book 
would be a valuable resource.

Cheers,

Rufus Isaacs
Michigan State University 
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