>Penncap was an unmitigated disaster for beekeepers. I am old enough to
>remember that one.

Beekeepers fought Penncap with all their  energy and united. Penncap won!

However what Penncap did was force commercial beekeepers and growers to work
together. Growers needed bees and beekeepers& growers knew the dangers .

The reality was that if given time to move the bees from the fields before
the penncap was applied everything worked out. If the grower jumped the gun
then the kill was easily seen and no doubt who was at fault. I personally
have never lost bees to penncap although the dangers (rightly so) were told
at beekeepers meetings.

Penncap M kills were not so common but the hype was. The beekeeper indemnity
program was dropped in 1978 before Penncap use became widespread. If penncap
kills were common then the program would have been brought back.

Both growers and beekeepers realized the danger to bees.

With the neonicotinoids growers are assured the bees are safe (even in bloom
with some neonicotinoids) which is a problem for beekeepers. Most farmers I
have spoke with think the treatment is to protect the seed while in storage.
Do not even know the chemical is a systemic pesticide.


 >Penncap-M applications should not be made to fields and orchards when:
honeybees are foraging, fruit trees are blooming, groundcover or bordering
plants contain more than five flowers per square yard, or when sweet corn
tassels and silks are present.

When the above label is followed bees are safe.

Protecting Honey Bees From Pesticide Poisoning
Roger G. Adams IPM Coordinator, Department Of Plant Science
Candace Bartholomew Agriculture Agent, Pesticide Applicator Training Agent
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