Hello All,


> We carefully spray insecticides/fungicides occasionally
during the spring after petal fall and have not seen any loss of bees or
honey crop in that yard as compared to other nearby beeyards.

Try a dose of penncap M and see how your bees do sitting in apples. The
chemical of choice for apple growers in our area. Right after the king
bloom.

>Other regional beekeepers who do pollination for apples in Mn/Wis also do
not appear to have any problems either.

Sitting bees in a commercial apple grove in Missouri when about fourteen
sprays are applied is a recipe for disaster. The bees work the clover under
the trees.

I run a small apple orchard and have done a couple sprays around dark and
got by but only after mowing under the trees  and not using strong chemicals
like all the apple orchards in our area use.

I am not saying Brian is not doing what he says he is but only saying one
should *use caution* when placing bees year around in or around a commercial
apple
orchard (or a mile away).

>The co-existence of the proper use of ag chemicals and bees in
overlapping areas is very common despite the distorted message in
the article.

I beg to differ. Many is the yard I have had wiped out from misuse of
chemical pesticides by ignorant farmers and spray applicators.

I used to be of the mindset of:

" I don't get mad but get even"

but now I move hives away from spray problems after dismal failure at trying
to wake up a few ignorant farmers and spray applicators.

Its not so much the spraying after bloom with apples (the most important
spray application for apples however) but the spray dropping on the
dandelions and clover under the trees which does the most bee damage.

My partner and I do the largest apple orchard in Missouri pollination(takes
400-500 hives) and we insist on the orchard mowing before the bees enter so
the bees will work the apples instead of the dandelions and clover below the
trees. As soon as the apple bloom is over the bees drop to the flowers below
the trees.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison

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