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David Fischer

Pollinator Safety Group Director, Bayer Bee Care Center Manager, Bayer Crop Science

Expert Bio

Dr. David L Fischer is Director of the Pollinator Safety Group within Bayer’s Development North America organization, and Manager of the Bayer Bee Care Center located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He has been working in the field of ecotoxicology and risk assessment since 1986, the last 27 years with Bayer and legacy companies.

Dr. Fischer’s expertise is in the area of terrestrial ecotoxicology and risk assessment. He has supervised the conduct of hundreds of laboratory and field toxicology studies of crop protection chemicals and animal pharmaceuticals, authored dozens of chemical risk assessments, and published more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Dr. Fischer’s co-chaired the 2011 International “Pellston” Workshop on Pesticide Risk Assessment for Pollinators convened by the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry that spawned an overhaul of the regulatory evaluation process in both North America and Europe.

Dr. Fischer holds a B.S. degree in Zoology from the University of Massachusetts, a M.S. degree in Zoology from Western Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Brigham Young University.

Studies, Articles and Answers

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Question

Q: Who are the Scientists, health and safety professionals, farmers, and other independent experts who answer your questions?I am a be keeper, what is the concern about the nicotinoids? What are potential pathways for exposure to the bees?

Answered By David Fischer - May 21, 2014

A: While there is some evidence that in laboratory studies neonicotinoid exposure can affect honeybee behavior, many field studies have been conducted, and all report no adverse effects on honeybee colonies in real-world agricultural settings. In the field, typical exposure levels are very low and there is no scientific evidence linking these very low-level exposures to colony losses or declining colony health. Likewise, there is no correlation between where neonicotinoid products are used and where bee colony loss rates are abnormally high. On the contrary, in Canada, bee colony loss rates [...]

Answered By Daniel Schmehl - May 21, 2014

A: Neonicotinoids (e.g., imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) are widely used in agricultural landscapes as a systemic, broad-spectrum insecticide. Neonicotinoids are used more than any other class of insecticide worldwide and are frequently found in seed coatings, foliar sprays and granular formulations. While their toxicity to humans is low, their prevalence of use among farmers and homeowners has raised concern over the level of exposure to pollinators and other nontarget insects. Honeybees can come in contact with the pesticides while foraging for pollen and nectar. Neonicotinoid seed c [...]

Answered By David Fischer - May 21, 2014

A: While there is some evidence that in laboratory studies neonicotinoid exposure can affect honeybee behavior, many field studies have been conducted, and all report no adverse effects on honeybee colonies in real-world agricultural settings. In the field, typical exposure levels are very low and there is no scientific evidence linking these very low-level exposures to colony losses or declining colony health. Likewise, there is no correlation between where neonicotinoid products are used and where bee colony loss rates are abnormally high. On the contrary, in Canada, bee colony loss rates [...]

Answered By Daniel Schmehl - May 21, 2014

A: Neonicotinoids (e.g., imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) are widely used in agricultural landscapes as a systemic, broad-spectrum insecticide. Neonicotinoids are used more than any other class of insecticide worldwide and are frequently found in seed coatings, foliar sprays and granular formulations. While their toxicity to humans is low, their prevalence of use among farmers and homeowners has raised concern over the level of exposure to pollinators and other nontarget insects. Honeybees can come in contact with the pesticides while foraging for pollen and nectar. Neonicotinoid seed c [...]

Environment Crop protectants

Question

Q: Who are the Scientists, health and safety professionals, farmers, and other independent experts who answer your questions?I am a be keeper, what is the concern about the nicotinoids? What are potential pathways for exposure to the bees?

Answered By David Fischer - May 21, 2014

A: While there is some evidence that in laboratory studies neonicotinoid exposure can affect honeybee behavior, many field studies have been conducted, and all report no adverse effects on honeybee colonies in real-world agricultural settings. In the field, typical exposure levels are very low and there is no scientific evidence linking these very low-level exposures to colony losses or declining colony health. Likewise, there is no correlation between where neonicotinoid products are used and where bee colony loss rates are abnormally high. On the contrary, in Canada, bee colony loss rates [...]

Answered By Daniel Schmehl - May 21, 2014

A: Neonicotinoids (e.g., imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) are widely used in agricultural landscapes as a systemic, broad-spectrum insecticide. Neonicotinoids are used more than any other class of insecticide worldwide and are frequently found in seed coatings, foliar sprays and granular formulations. While their toxicity to humans is low, their prevalence of use among farmers and homeowners has raised concern over the level of exposure to pollinators and other nontarget insects. Honeybees can come in contact with the pesticides while foraging for pollen and nectar. Neonicotinoid seed c [...]

Answered By David Fischer - May 21, 2014

A: While there is some evidence that in laboratory studies neonicotinoid exposure can affect honeybee behavior, many field studies have been conducted, and all report no adverse effects on honeybee colonies in real-world agricultural settings. In the field, typical exposure levels are very low and there is no scientific evidence linking these very low-level exposures to colony losses or declining colony health. Likewise, there is no correlation between where neonicotinoid products are used and where bee colony loss rates are abnormally high. On the contrary, in Canada, bee colony loss rates [...]

Answered By Daniel Schmehl - May 21, 2014

A: Neonicotinoids (e.g., imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) are widely used in agricultural landscapes as a systemic, broad-spectrum insecticide. Neonicotinoids are used more than any other class of insecticide worldwide and are frequently found in seed coatings, foliar sprays and granular formulations. While their toxicity to humans is low, their prevalence of use among farmers and homeowners has raised concern over the level of exposure to pollinators and other nontarget insects. Honeybees can come in contact with the pesticides while foraging for pollen and nectar. Neonicotinoid seed c [...]

Environment Crop protectants