How does Round-Up effect bees?

Just curious.  We use it, in small quantities (we use less than 30  
gallons over 300 acres) and spray once on our main crops a couple  
weeks after emerging to kill off competitive plants.

We also have massive diverse forage area on our farm and around it.   
Some local farmers use more Round-Up or similar herbicides (we use an  
off brand similar to Honcho I believe).  Those growing non-GMo crops  
are using more and spraying more often (more weaker applications  
usually to avoid killing the corn yet killing Johnson grass).  No one  
is using pesticides.

I have no proof but I would argue that with label use of the product  
we have not seen ANY bad effects.  Our feral bee population is quite  
nice and I have documented several bee trees in the region.  Mother  
nature and beekeepers that take too much honey are far more dangerous  
to the bees I would imagine than Round-Up sprayed in the spring.

I am up to 30 colonies now.  None of which have been treated, other  
than doing later season splits on a couple.  Going on year three of no  
treatments.

If there is solid documentation I'd be interested in seeing it.

Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com
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On Sep 15, 2009, at 4:31 AM, Chris Slade wrote:

> It is my suspicion (not science!) that one of the biggest problems of
> honeybees is the use of Round up!


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