From: Peter L Borst


> Single fields measuring a square mile and larger are not unusual in the
> US.

>Which brings us back to the most important point: bee locations. The first
>beekeeper I ever worked for told me this basic principle. Even a poor
>beekeeper can do well in a good location. But not even an expert can do
>well in a poor location.

>If your bees are in a poor location (read: monoculture, lots of corn, heavy
>agriculture, no good bee forage plants at all) whose fault is that?


Yep. Blame the victim!

In South Carolina, if you are along the coast, you have good bee forage
plants, but you are subject to constant mosquito spraying. If you move
inland, you are in cotton country, which is an excellent forage plant - IF
the bees aren't killed.  If you move inland farther, you are in areas where
bees will starve, except for a one or two brief periods each year.

So what'cha gonna do?  Move clear across the country?  Leave your melon,
cuke, squash and other growers hanging?

It is the pesticide applicator who has decided to use a hazardous substance;
and it's the pesticide applicator who is responsible for doing it according
to the label. I've not had experience with neonics, but with the traditional
pesticides, strict compliance with label directions was sufficient
protection.

This also means that any setup or official advice that applicators notify
beekeepers (instead of following the labels) is a recommendation for
pesticide *misuse* which is legally the same as pesticide misuse.
Notification does not protect the beekeeper who cannot stay home from work
with his bees all day, it does not protect feral hives (label protects for
pollination purposes and does not distinguish), and it does not protect the
many other bee species.

After the non-complying massive spray program after Hurricane Hugo,
bumblebees disappeared for several years around here. The program was so
massive that there were no islands of safety for the bees. The spraying was
done at the time of maximum bee activity on goldenrod and aster, despite a
label that forbade application at that time.  I saw the same thing happen in
South Florida after Hurricane Andrew. Beekeepers had huge losses, and had no
recourse.

Dave Green
Retired Pollination Contractor

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