It’s understandable if Bayer needs a couple of aspirins after this full-page ad in yesterday’s New York Times.

The honey shot:

The Natural Resources Defense Council has a bee in its bonnet for good reason according to the (Raleigh) News & Observer:

Bayer spent $12 million last year, when it earned profits of more than $3.6 billion, promoting bee health as the world’s top neonic maker and No. 2 Syngenta fend off suggestions the chemicals are bee-killers.

Both companies are fighting pressure from regulators in the U.S. and Europe with publicity campaigns and lobbying aimed at telling people that neonics are beneficial and safe when used correctly, and that bees face greater peril from parasites, pathogens and poor diets as wild flowering plants diminish.

Too bad all the buzz is going the other way.