A spate of new studies came out this spring, all of them seeking to link neonicotinoid insecticides to mortality in honeybees, bumblebees, and several kinds of native bees, and all of the studies getting wide publicity. Reaction among agricultural entomologists varied. Some criticized the studies as being scientifically flawed. None thought the studies showed a definitive causation between the insecticides and colony collapse disorder, although other studies have shown that neonicotinoids may make honeybees more susceptible to parasites and pathogens that have been implicated as possible causes. Everybody agrees that neonicotinoids (like most insecticides by definition) are toxic to bees, […]