The French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) published – in French and English – a report on “Weakening, collapse and mortality of bee colonies” updated to April 2009.

As reported on pages 48 et seq. , there have been occasional incidents of mortality linked to the emission of fipronil or imidacloprid dust during seeding as a result of bad-quality seed coating and/or use of inappropriate sowing machinery and techniques.

This provides an explanation for a cause-effect link. I won’t bet, however, that it suffices to explain the bombastic title of the article you picked up (“Bees ‘restored to health’ in Italy after this spring’s neonicotinoid-free maize sowing”) or the statement that “The ban on the insecticide-soaked seed coating enforced by the Italian government last year seems to have worked wonders.”

Since the ban had been renewed for one year in May 2009, we may well have a PR exaggeration here.