Hello All,

I did this post a couple days ago and almost decided not to send but I do 
feel strongly on the issue and believe those 20 year olds Peter gets his 
information from should take heed of the words of a business man which only 
see dollar signs in Bayer's future with Spirotetramat.

The old post:
The chemical companies have tried for decades to find a pesticide which will
kill sucking pests on bloom with LD 50 which will pass registration. Their
own *paid for* research would get the registration *if not* for the friends
of bees & native pollinators like those opposed to Spirotetramat.
Some listed by Paul in prior post.

As beekeepers we give growers plenty of leeway now with allowing some
fungicide sprays . It seems we are fighting a losing battle to keep our
flowers free of neonicotinoid poison as the chemical companies are always
pushing for registration of new products with minimal research as far as sub
lethal and in combination with other chemicals effect on bees.

One can debate the effect of the pesticides (neonics & spirotetramat) but 
they are detectable in the samples. Exposer happens!

Added today:
Single testing of Spirotetmat proves little and if my longtime friend Allen 
Dick has issues with the test then so do I. I wish I could have been in 
Orlando to ask questions but due to health reasons I am not. Will slowly 
start my trip home next week. Feeling better but my health situation is 
fragile.

 more recent studies indicate
> that spiroteramat was (quoting Dave Fischer) "shown
> to be safe to honey bee colonies even when sprayed on crops
> during full bloom, a time when honey bees are actively foraging."

I have never won a first place in a large chess tournament but I did win a
second place in a several day tournament. Years ago I played many games a
day and studied the game. In chess you need to anticipate your opponents
next move and up to as many moves as you are capable of.

My point is why is Bayer doing documented testing with  pesticide
spiroteramat  on crops during full bloom? Surely Bayer realizes beekeepers
feel using a pesticide which will kill sucking insects will cause harm to
bees? Sub lethal problems? Concoction worries?

Bayer is trying to get a foot in the door to start promoting products to be 
used on bloom. Citrus *is* the best place to attempt a entrance as being a 
former Florida beekeeper I know that beekeepers and citrus growers are not 
the best of friends.

 Citrus does not need bees for pollination . In fact in California to get a 
orange location we had to pay the grower. I like orange honey as much as the 
next person. Have purchased a couple bottles from Haines City since I have 
been in Florida. Both labels said Orange Blossom Honey. One bottle was and 
the other was crap! Certainly not orange blossom honey!

My point is the orange industry is concerned about producing oranges etc.. 
Not in the welfare of the bee industry! Some growers will not let beekeepers 
on their farms as they say we spread canker.

 beekeepers can survive without the orange. Brazilian pepper was not around 
when I kept bees in Florida but has became a major honey crop so you still 
have plenty of honey sources such as gallberry, pallmeto, gallberry and 
wildflower plus some minor sources like titi and mangrove without orange.

 Is registration of spirotetramat for *all* crops which have sucking
insect issues their next move?

My friends and I think so!

In chess you ignore a couple of seeming  mean less moves and then its too
late to recover. Checkmate and game over!

Paul said:
> I am unaware of any other insecticide on the market today that effectively
> controls sucking pest insects and yet is also safe for honey bee colonies
> even when sprayed on crops during full bloom.

Do you know why none has ever been found Paul? A pesticide strong enough to
kill sucking insects is strong enough to cause issues with pollinators. One
of these days hopefully those responsible for doing harm to pollinators will
have to pay for the damage done.

Beekeepers have fought for many decades to keep the label not to spray
*pesticides* on blooms while bees are working the bloom. When in a
pollination those millions of bees are the beekeepers property. The
beekeeper should not be expected to have to put up with seeing his bees
sprayed
with a pesticide. Spirotetramat is a pesticide designed to kill sucking
insects right?

*If* I thought spirotetramat was to be only used on citrus then maybe not 
such a big deal but the chemical industry makes no secret of wanting sprays 
to use on blooms. Once we lose the label to not spray while bees are on 
bloom or in the fields those of us doing pollination are going to see 
problems in my opinion.

Pesticides are to bees like what water is to electricity. Not the best of
friends!"

In my opinion beekeepers need to push hard to close the door on attempts to
spray a pesticide on bees working blooms.

Now is the time to make a stand not after registration.

"Keep the bloom sacred" Bob Harrison 2010

bob

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