> Number one, the grower is violating the label requirements.
DO NOT APPLY, it says. Secondly, a call at 10PM the night
before is more of an insult than a help. Given a few days notice
he could have gotten them out of there. They don't mention
the location but in some states timely notification is also
required BY LAW.

Actually, IMO everyone is being very careful.  The farmer consulting
the beekeeper, and by the sounds of it, if there was risk of
serious problems some second thought would take place.
After all, he is spraying 1/4 mile away on non-blooming field
and the only question is whether the drift might reach a small
patch of weeds with bloom.  How much are they likely to be
attracting pollinators?  That is hard to say.  I don't know how
big the patch is and how it is competing with the buckwheat.
Are the weeds likely to receive drift drift? Not known.  Probably
small chance, since everyone is thinking about it.

All in all, this is an excellent example of thoughtfulness and
communication.  If there were a greater risk and a larger number
of hives present, then the story would be different and there
might be real concerns.

Insecticides are poison and they are going to kill insects. That
is the whole idea.  The outdoors is a big place and it is mostly not
divided into well separated sections.  Things get around.

As beekeepers, we know that any spraying within miles of our
hives is likely to cause some loss of bees.  Maybe only one or
two scouts, in some cases.  Maybe a whole yard in others.

The critical thing is that everyone has to co-operate to estimate
and mitigate the risks and this is happening here.

Personally, if I were the beekeeper in question, after looking over
the situation, I would not give it a second thought beyond giving
the landowner an extra jar of (buckwheat) honey. (Good
buckwheat honey reads 120 on the Pfund scale, looks like used
gear oil and smells like hog manure.  I love it and it makes
great mead)

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