A slightly edited copy of the report of a violation near here today,
posted here for the Bee List:

[log in to unmask],
Dr. Von H. McCaskill, Department Head
SC Dept. of Pesticide Regulation

[log in to unmask]
Dr. Mike Hood SC Apicultural Specialist


   Shortly after 4pm, I observed an Horry County spray truck making
application along the roadsides on Rt 701, north of Conway, and Bakers Chapel
Road, and Rt 319. Goldenrod is at peak of bloom and is being heavily worked
by both honeybees and bumblebees, as well as many other insects. I observed
bees on goldenrod prior to this incident, and afterwards right up to about
5:45 pm.

    I talked with the applicator, one **********, and he said they were
spraying malathion (which prohibits application while bees are foraging).  I
told him what the label directions said, and that bees were foraging on the
goldenrod along the roadsides. I asked him to stop, as the application was in
violation of the label, and that, if he continued, it would be a wilful
(criminal) violation.

    He said I'd have to talk with his boss, and I indicated that I would
follow him back to talk with him. He stopped spraying, and I followed as he
turned toward Conway. Then he turned the sprayer back on and continued to
spray.

    At that point I called for the police and requested that he be cited for
wilful violation. The police refused to cite him. Mr. ******* indicated that
his boss had told him by radio to continue to spray.  I am not sure if he was
referring to ********or ******** when he referred to his boss. He listed both
names.

    The police allowed him to continue to perpetrate this criminal misuse.  I
am notifying the attorney general of the refusal of these police officers to
stop a crime in progress.

    I am requesting a criminal citation against Mr. ******* and his
supervisors. I am also requesting a stop and desist order for all county
vector control agencies that no further daytime applications in violation be
made, and that all daytime applications from henceforth must be based on
actual monitoring of the bee forage times, to make certain no violations ever
occur again.  I would be glad to assist in setting up monitoring programs in
each county.

    These illegal applications compound the environmental devastation that
has already occurred. The law protects our pollinators, if enforced, but poor
enforcement will lead to loss of our bees, and could even bring famine, if it
continues.

    Dr. McCaskil, you refused to enforce the law in the mosquito spraying
after Hurricane Hugo. This cost the farmers millions in lost pollination, and
put me at the poverty level, from which I have not been able to recover.  I
ask you not only to protect our wild and domestic pollinators, but also the
productive citizens who are known as beekeepers. To refuse to enforce the
label directions is a de facto seizure of the beekeeper's property, in
violation of the Bill of Rights.

Sincerely yours,

David L. Green      Pot o'Gold Honey Co. POB 1200, Hemingway, SC   29554-1200


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