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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Liz Lindsey <liz.lindsey AT duke.edu>
  • To: Just Bee <marty AT justbeenc.com>, Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: "ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Bee hives and pesticides / possibly seeking Home for two good hives
  • Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2014 02:59:51 +0000

We beekeepers have various and fervent opinions regarding GMOs and chemicals used to kill or control plants and insects. The great thing about the U.S.A. is that we all have a right to voice our opinions. Happy 4th of July! 

My opinion is that research shows neonicitinoids, and glyphosphate are causing pollinators to be immune-compromised. That plus varroa mites = bee sickness and death. Tracheal mites and Nosema don't help either!

Personally, I would move the hives away from the corn fields, if possible. 90% of GMO corn seed contains neonicitinoids at this point. European Union banned certain use of neonicitinoids, but they are currently  legal here. Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp, and Dr. Jeff Pettis, are two entomologists who's research that I recommend. Just google them. PLOSOne is a place you can read  scholarly articles that are open-access. I also agree with reading labels, reading the bee magazines, and communicating with other beekeepers.

That being said, it's pretty much impossible to keep our bees from encountering some degree of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc. since they are endemic in our environment.  I am in an urban setting, so I'm near   homes and businesses that likely use Roundup and other chemical controls of plants, weeds, and insects. I know of no place that is perfect for them. But the more you do to eliminate possible problems, the better. 

That's my two-cents.

Good luck and keep us posted!

-Liz










From: Just Bee <marty AT justbeenc.com>
Date: Friday, July 4, 2014 8:35 PM
To: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
Cc: Orange Bees <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [ocba] Bee hives and pesticides / possibly seeking Home for two good hives

Sally & Cole,

Here is my experience with your situation. Though you have to look harder at "who's" science you are reading (who did it and who funded it) the story goes both ways for Roundup. Google the Maryland study

On the other hand it's been my experience that Yea GMO corn is bad for your bees in great quantities. As the Maryland study and another from Penn State show it's the multi combination of toxic chemicals working together to harm our bees. As they put it it's a "cocktail" of multiple products. 

In addition to the multiple sprayings your farmer will be doing that product is coated with an insecticide! That does rub off when planting and is in the pollen that the bees do eat. So Roundup might not kill them instantly but the insecticide (neonics) is harmful to them. Those combined...we are just learning of the issues. That part was left out and needs to be know. Multiple university studies around the world is sheading more light on neonics...which are on that corn.

In 2011-2013 I took 10 hives to orange grove road. A friend lent me his (retired) 100 acre farm that backs up to Cane Creek. Clover, wild flowers, maples & Tulip Poplars everywhere. BUT sadly for my bees 3 area farms all started growing GMO corn for dairy cows. In 2011 I found and posted weird pictures of "white" pollen. No idea what it was at the time. Turns out to have been talc powder laced with Neonics. By the end of 2013...just in 2 years ALL ten were dead. In addition to multiple queen supercedures they never built up! I took only 1 honey super from all 10 hives. 

In contrast my Carrboro, Saxapahaw North Orange and my house did much better. Normal 30% losses...as the norm for NC and goid for me as a Chem Free bee keeper.

I lost 6 hives there in 2012 and the remaining 4 in 2013. In 2013 another farm off hwy 54 contracted to grow more corn. Again, 10 hives went in...0 came out. In year 1 I thought it was me...I blamed myself, but I was confused as my other hives of all the same types and same management practices lived, made honey and even thrived in certain spots. 2 gave me over 120lbs of honey each. Of the 10 hives a couple were swarms, 5 were nucs, a couple splits and the rest packages. I even tried requeening...bought queens from Lewis and Todd. No luck. They could never fully develope near corn. Ask Elisebeth Curtis about having bees then corn fields moving in. All 5 of hers died our quickly after homestead and fayetteville rd went to GMO corn. I believe she had bees there for 5 years before last springs wipe out. 

So to me it's clear...GMO corn coated with Neonics are bad, sprayed multiple times per year can be bad it turns out. But it's the mono crop issue that you must factor in. Corn pollen is low in protein and though bees do work it they prefer much better. So if it's acres and acres your bees will be in a food dessert. 

My best hives are in urban settings. 

In the end...read read read and always ask "whos" science is it. There are studies on both sides...sadly most funded or wirse conducted by the very companies making the product. Also consider asking other bee groups, even in other states as well. 

Good luck! 
Marty

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 4, 2014, at 7:14 PM, Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com> wrote:

Cole & Sally,

Roundup is a herbicide, not an insecticide. The product label (the legal requirement for application) for Roundup Pro does not include any known risks for pollinators, nor is it harmful for humans. Test results on honey bees, detailed in the MSDS, were:
Honey bee (Apis mellifera):
Oral/contact,48 hours, LD50:> 100μg/bee
Practically non-toxic.

There has never been any evidence that GMO crops harm bees, nor is there any logical reason that they would do so.

So I wouldn't (and don't) worry. Use of Roundup is incredibly widespread in the USA and if it were actually causing genuine problems for honey bees, that would be obvious.

Randall Austin

On 7/4/2014 6:08 PM, Cole Rizki wrote:
0646BC6F-9AE6-4892-A4C3-CB0DEC76FB6B AT gmail.com" type="cite">
I am currently in the same boat as Sally, any suggestions welcome. 

-Cole

On Jul 4, 2014, at 5:26 PM, SALLY HOWARD <sallyhoward AT centurylink.net> wrote:

Hello
Would any members be able to tell me how harmful " Round Up" might be to a bee colony.  I have two healthy colonies that I keep out in the country as I have too much shade at my house.
Unfortunately the place where the hives are situated is next to a field where a farmer planted GMO corn ( about 500 - 1000 feet away.. I have discovered today that the farmer intends to spray the corn with Roundup and nitrogen soon and I am unable to find out when.
What are OCBA' members thoughts on this? Is this a situation where the bees would be doomed by this ? If this would inevitably result in the sudden death of the bees I would like to relocate the hives.
many thanks for any input.

Sally

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