So far as I and other beekeepers who are monitoring, have been able to
determine, all applications along the East Coast this year are being done at
night, which means they comply with label directions of the commonly used
adulticides. I have not heard of, nor do I expect to hear, of damage to bees,
as long as this practice continues.  Beekeepers need to be in contact with
these public officials, and they need to know that we are aware what the
label says.

   A letter from Dr. Nick Calderone (Cornell) advises beekeepers to pen up
bees for the day following applications.
http://www.westchestergov.com/health/WNVbeekeeperLetter.htm

   In my experience this is overdoing it, as the stresses of confining bees
can also do a lot of damage.  At any rate, it commits the beekeeper to
staying near his bees to cool and water them periodically - not always
possible for those who have a job, or for those who have bees at multiple
sites.  I hope Nick is also emphasizing to the public officials that it is
label violations of the type we saw last year that do the real damage.

   Butterflies have no legal protection that I know of, though damage is done
to them (as well, along with many other organisms, so the long term effect of
these massive spray programs will have many repercussions).  Many of us know
what it's like to see bee kills. Here is one community's experience with a
butterfly kill:
http://www.mankatofreepress.com/archives/2000/000826/story1.html

    I am not against pesticides. I use them myself.  But I am uneasy with the
increasingly widespread (government run) applications, which leave no islands
of safety for many beneficial (even vital) organisms. When a field or orchard
is treated, the surrounding untreated areas form a "safety net" where the
good guys can reproduce and repopulate. When tens of thousands of acres are
treated the area becomes increasing barren of the beneficials, and
increasingly subject to population explosions of pests.  In case no one
understands what I am saying, here's the idea in a nutshell:  "pesticide
treadmill."

    Congrats on your article in Bee Culture, John Mitchell, (and Kim, too)
where you dealt courageously with the real issues here.  After the post Fran
spraying two years ago, American Bee Culture ran a whitewash, ignoring the
real issue, which was that the applications were in clear violation of the
label directions.

    I'd like to see a followup, John, where you explore the trail of money
that is involved in these massive projects.  Someone is making a huge profit
with these. Which public official is playing golf (or footsie) with which
pesticide salesman?  I'm not making any specific accusations here, because I
have no specific information. The biggest clue so far is that the big guys
routinely get away with violations, while little guys get enforcement
actions.

    Here in South Carolina, the events I documented last year were admitted
to be in violation by the pesticide police, but no enforcement action was
taken.  We ought to be really skeptical and wise here, with so much at stake.

Dave Green    SC   USA
The Pollination Home Page:  http://pollinator.com
Mosquto spray violations after Hurricane Floyd:
http://memebers.aol.com/gardenbees/