The Curious Case of Mad Bee Disease and What it May Tell Us About Autism

In the early 1990’s, a group of beekeepers in France began to notice something alarming. Their bees were suddenly unable to gather food for their colonies. They were also weak, vulnerable, and trembling. Many were dying.

Having never seen the condition before, it became known as “Mad Bee Disease”. By 2006, it was called “Colony Collapse Disorder”.

French beekeepers held demonstrations and demanded answers. Something new and strange was happening to their bees, and it just so happened to coincide with the recent adoption of a new pesticide application created by Bayer Corporation at their location in Japan. Neonics, as they are commonly referred, officially called neonicotinoids – synthetic neurotoxic insecticides – were developed there.

In the 1980’s, the race was on to create a product that could be applied to the root or seed of a crop and last a lifetime. But more importantly, it needed to be precise. The right form, given the right way, in the right amount would ideally target the bad (the insects killing or eating the crops) while not harming the good (the bees needed to pollinate them).

They called it a “surgical strike” against pests. It was celebrated widely as a tremendous achievement and quickly turned Bayer into a global player in the industry. By 2009, it had generated over $2 billion in sales.

The whole story, laid out in exhaustive detail, was recently shared on a Substack I follow written by journalist, Lee Fang. Lee has written extensively about corruption and corporate capture and the impact it has on society. I have enjoyed his analysis and investigative work for the last few years.