Steve said:
Greetings to one and all from Eastern  Jackson County MO.

Greetings to you from Lafayette County MO. which is the next county east of
you. I keep bees in Lafayette, Johnson and Jackson every year.

Steve asks:
 Less than a hundred yards away there is a  2 1/2  acre field that is full
of what I know as thistles

Bees work thistles in our area but prefer the clover.


> the farmer that sharecrops the farm has offered to "spray" them with
herbicide,  will this spray harm my bees?

Shouldn't be a problem if the bees are not working the bloom. Right now they
are working mostly clover. Thistles are a big problem (according to the non
beekeeper) in especially Jackson county.
They spread fast. They are sprayed a plant at a time. The "old timers" cut
the flowers off and burn before they go to seed and eventually the
population drops. The county (Jackson and others) allways sprays after the
seed has set which is a big waste of money and time.

  I
>am really not to bothered by the thistles as I have four goats in the
>field that will be more than happy to eat them once they are cut down, why
they wont eat them while they are standing is one for the scientists,

If the goats get hungry enough they will eat thistles but prefer other
grass/weeds. Goats & llamas will even eat multiflora wild roses & dock when
hungry. I have watched and they pull back their lips and only work the
teeth. I can't imagine trying to swallow a wild multifloral rose vine.

Are you a member of a local beekeeping club Steve? If not I will email
information on the next meeting of the Midwestern Beekeepers assn.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Eastern Lafayette County Missouri

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