One thing worse than neonicotinoids-drenched OSR fields is....NO OSR fields #bringbackOSR

Tiny specs of dandelion pollen, that's it!

Drenched is not an especially accurate description of how they were used. Would love to see data on pollinator numbers pre and post year ban. Reduction in OSR area must have had a negative impact.

OSR was a great for pollinators, insects, birds, small mammals & ground nesting birds Loads of blackbird nests in the OSR Neonics was a dressing applied to seed at planting - never was "Drenched" Well all that is gone, we now import £100s Millions of OSR grown using Neonics

They never were drenched, it was a minute dose of seed dressing……unfortunately, some people lied to further their mis-judged agenda. Such a shame people can’t (or won’t) believe the science. #savethebees #IPM

How the spec of neonic on a tiny seed sown in the soil in August affected bees after the pollen of a huge plant the following April was without evidence allowed to remove this crop from the rotation is symptomatic of pressure group capture of weak politicians.

Interesting comment. Has this been fed into Defra and the importance of early flowers for pollinators?

There's less in Plymouth this year, than last, due to rotation and beetle. Partly why we've moved north and east. I reckon those buyin early queens and nucs will soon suffer a gap with lots of brood but no food to feed on, unless they're on a crop. Worried about yours?

Its a quick fix... but I'd rather have a good diverse mix of forage than rape ... fixing that is harder of course..but more beneficial

My bees in a landscape mosaic of improved/unimprived grassland and woodland have all had 2nd supers added today. And they were shook swarmed a week ago. Sycamour, field maple, hawthorn, cherry and horse chestnut blooming. Loads of bees out on cow parsley, dandelions and cowslips.

harry metcalf mentioned that he is not doing oilseed rape again, as it is an unreliable crop, On his youtube today.