When MPs returned from the summer recess last month, it came as no surprise when the issue of bee health and insecticides was raised in the House of Commons.

For much of the summer, the Soil Association and the Pesticide Action Network had waged a campaign against these products - specifically the use of a class of insecticides called neo-nicotinoids as seed treatments - culminating in the publication of a BugLife report outlining their claims.

But while these groups claim to be defending the interests of bee health, their exclusive focus on linking insecticide use with the collapse in bee colonies may in fact have the opposite effect - deflecting research effort and resource away from the parasite and disease issues, which together present the major underlying problems.

At first sight, the BugLife report looks like a professional review of the relevant literature. But further inspection rings alarm bells.

Why does the report dismiss the toxicity assessments of active substances by the European Food Safety Agency as “inadequate”, in preference for any study suggesting the existence of a risk? Why does it completely omit the many studies conducted in France, Germany and the US, which confirm that parasitic mites such as Varroa, together with a plethora of fungal and viral diseases, are the key determinants in bee health? Why does it highlight restrictions on these compounds in France as evidence of a problem, while ignoring the fact that such restrictions, which have been in place for a number of years, have had zero impact on bee health in France?

The reason can be found in the methodology section. “This report focuses on independent research showing an effect particularly for honeybees…” Not a report looking to understand the issue, then, but simply one looking for evidence to match the assertion that chemicals must be the problem.

In all of the noise surrounding this report, it is worth checking what beekeepers think. To quote the chairman of the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) in the body’s October newsletter: “The BBKA has been reassured that the current and any increase in the use of CNI-containing insecticides in the UK should not cause an unacceptable risk to honeybees.”

The secretary of the Bee Farmers’ Association is clear where the problem really lies: “The root cause is the Varroa mite… This weakens the bees, spreads viruses, reduces their immune systems and makes them vulnerable to anything else going.”

Nevertheless, it is incumbent on all of us to look after the pollinators of our crops, our orchards, our top fruit and our soft fruit. That includes using insecticides carefully and responsibly to produce high-quality, affordable fresh produce, while minimising the impact of agriculture and horticulture on the environment.

Finally, the response from DEFRA minister Dan Norris MP in the House of Commons: “There is no evidence that authorised pesticides pose an unacceptable risk.”

Dr Julian Little chairs the CPA’s Communications Working Group