At 09:25 AM 4/15/98 -0400, you wrote:
>        The city of Ann Arbor, near the township where I live, is
>planningon spraying Bacillus thruingiensis var. kurstaki (Btk), a
>biological agent to control gypsy moths (a problem in this area for the
>last couple of years). They plan on doing this in early May, just about
>three weeks after my first ever package bees arrive.
>        My question. Despite all the claims about safety and how this
>agent is "toxic only to leaf-eating caterpillars within 5 days of the
>application," should I worry about my bees.
 
This stuff normally will not harm bees, in fact a beekeeper was one of the
first to use BT to control Oak Tree worms by gathering up the dead worms
and mixing them with water and spraying them on healthy worms. We have come
a long way since then and the product today is much better. Some beekeepers
have used a strain of BT to control wax worms. It could be added to a wash
in the foundation making process and all beekeepers would be protected from
the worm. But that will never happen because of the environmental and back
to nature movement.
 
> I can tell them we don't want
>our property sprayed, but it really may not be a bad idea since the moths
>have been a big problem everywhere. I know the agent is not actually a
>pesticide, but does anyone know whether I should protect my bees at the
>expense of my trees. Then again, is it kind of moot because the bees will
>be out foraging in areas that are sprayed, such as the yards right next
>door.
 
I won't try in influence your decision as I don't need the hate mail, but
there is so much to be concerned with in our environment its sad that
groups will attract some of the natural controls like BT that was indeed
found by a beekeeper looking for natural controls for Oak Months and has
developed into a product that has replaced much harsher chemical controls
but because it is now a manufactured product it is seen as no different
then those dirty old petrol chemicals we all hate.
 
ttul, the OLd Drone
 
 
 
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