Hello Emily & All,
Emily wrote:
> I sent a rather scathing letter to the editor (along with several pages of
> Loosestrife information) at The ABJ magazine in response to the printing
of
> the article about Loosestrife, vetch,and safflower being great bee plants,
> Jan.'01 issue.  Anyone who would like to learn and take a look at the
> mappings done on this rampant invader should let me know.  I'd be happy to
share what I and 6+ other state environmental departments already know.
"Bee  friendly" it may be, but "welcome" it definitelly is not!

Emily I hope you will not be as hard on me as you were on my friends at
Dadant!
Beekeepers have long been accused of seeding the thistle (once called
Chapmans Honey Plant).  I have never heard of a beekeeper seeding any
problem plants.  We do however locate and sit bees next to large areas of
Loosestrife, vetch and Safflower.  That is the main reason for the article
in my opinion.  They are allready there so why not make use of the plants? I
for one do!  Most longtime beekeepers only scan over those articles because
we are very in tune with nectar and pollen producing plants in our area.
Many of the non native plants such as Brazilian pepper have resisted all
efforts to eradicate so we might as well quite wasting tax payers dollars
herbicides and learn to confine those areas they are now in to slow the
expansion.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri

"Thinking one persons *perfect world* is another persons *worst
            -