>No need to apologize. Please keep posting when you can.

Thanks Gavin !
You and I have been on the internet together as far back as the year we were
on the Irish list together.
seems like only yesterday!

>You have spoken of problems with row crops and I just thought that I'd post
>something that backs up your statements from real-life commercial
>beekeeping.

I think my most valuable contribution is from my contacts. last night I
spent time with the owner of Missouri Valley Honey headed south to ship his
hives in Texas north. he off loaded drums of honey for Chris Gibbons of
Gibbons Honey farm (outside St. Louis). Chris should arrive tonight and we
should be able to discuss what he is seeing and has heard.

I had to go into the city this afternoon and spent a couple hours visiting
with my old partner and best friend Glenn Davis (now retired owner of Bell
Hill Honey and commercial beekeeper for over thirty years) at the operation
of Allen Apiaries.

I went to Glenn  for his advice. I have never seen a year like this year.
Super or feed is the question?

>This presentation was sent to me this morning. It comes from the EPA itself
>and records imidacloprid in pumpkins after treatment via transplant
>treatment and chemigation.

http://www.flworkshop.com/2010documents/10Presentations/30-Kamel,%20Alaa.pdf

Pumpkins have always been a problem if the neonics are used. I personally
decline pollination. Others have said charging double pumpkin pollination is
not worth the cost to bee health.

>That Purdue University presentation posted earlier shows clearly that if
>you keep your bees near a corn/maize farmer who does not control planter
>dust then your bees could be in trouble.

I still have two farmers to contact to see if planting soybeans or corn. if
corn I will need to wait until after planting to move into the area. I am
taking things one day at a time . Rain is expected Thursday through Saturday
and farmers are still for the most part putting down atrazine.

if corn had already been planted then there are locations I might use for
clover. Kevin Jester moved from the West Ridge area in Arkansas because of
problems with neonic soybeans and Delta Bee (kennet, Missouri) has had
problems also. I have not had noticeable problems with neonic treated 
soybean
seed. The bees prefer *in my opinion* the clover.

Every year if different. The decisions I make now is very important. Mud is
a concern now. Four days of rain. a lower knuckle is out on a swinger and
parts are on the way.

Soon supers will be on and hives in yards and I will take a week off.

>All this backs up the comments you have made about beekeeping in corn areas
>and where chemigation occurs, Bob. OK, many are not seeing such problems,
>but perhaps this is due to local practices at planting time or the
>availability of clean forage in the area.

In the one study posted this morning as to areas of the most neonic planted
corn. My hives are on the right edge of the highest area. last year corn was
heavily planted in my area but talking to farmers soybean futures are $14 a
bushel in the futures market. Plant corn or soybeans? It seems many are
moving to soybeans this year.

>.The criticism on here lately of junk science is very justified, but we
>shouldn't forget that there may be real problems out there.

I hope in the future commercial beekeepers will not look back in the Midwest
and say they wish we could return to the way beekeeping was back in 2011 and
2012.

Many farmers say when the rains stop and the temps climb serious drought
could be ahead. Even so 2012 looks like a great honey year *if* your hives
are strong enough to bring in the nectar before (if) the heat burns the
clover up.

not sure what Canada is seeing but Texas is about a month ahead of normal as
are we in my area.

Planting time and bees packing in corn pollen are problematic. After corn
planting moving into the area for clover and then out to the holding yard
seems to work for me.

important:
We burn many frames in spring. Frames of interest are set aside for me to
look at . I have seen frames almost covered with encapsulated pollen from
last fall. Problem is I have no idea which part of the operation those
frames came from. We burned those frames this morning as we needed the
space.

bees sealing off pollen cells at such a magnitude is a new phenomenon.

break over.
bob

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