Bees and imidacloprid

treebing · Apr 8, 2007

So america has lost 50% or more of its bees in the past few years.
Imidacloprid is one of the main suspects. The reason being that it causes memory loss and the bees dont know how to get back home.

It is so heavily used in agriculture and I know in arboriculture as well.

I have always wondered if it was doing funky to the world.

the orchards are one of the heaviest users of imidacloprid and they are also the most dependent on honey bees out of anyone.

Chum · Apr 8, 2007

It's more than a sad event. It's a first-stage warning of some pretty harsh realities coming.

Perhaps some may see it as a lesson that may help change the way we problem solve.

bushman · Apr 8, 2007

I do not think its all related to imidacloprid ,they spray the bug's with c6 airjets around here .i can only think that kill's alot bee's and every thing else.but the gov. say's it's safe.pretty freaky having giant plane's at top of the tree's crop dusting the county.

WWCTreeCrew · Apr 8, 2007

Did you just say that orchards use imidacloprid? That seems so foolish!! Imidacloprid acts similar to nicotine, and is especially toxic to insects and bees. Their nevous systems are shut down by it. I was just wondering the other day about all the bees disapearing, and imidacloprid's affect entered my mind. However, that may truely be the case if orchards are using it. I'm gonna look into it.

sean_freeman · Apr 9, 2007

The evidence starts to build against imidacloprid, its being used over here as treatment against Aconophora compressa on Citharexylum spinosum .

bushman · Apr 9, 2007

Ochard's are using it for aphid control on apple trees

and all seed crops use it as well.

professor · Apr 10, 2007

Will it have the same affect by soil injection. It will be in the plant/flowers. Didn't know that orchards were using it that much.

Morice · Apr 11, 2007

This thread just gave me the willies, because I've applied the product as many other arborists have with good intentions, but if I'm harming another organism(s), then I need to re-evaluate this product and the way I'm using it.

So I just googled 'bees and imidacloprid' and just on the first page found results supporting "both sides" of the arguement, which gives me nothing! One report was from Eric Zeisstoff of 'Swiss Bee News' and the other report was from Bayer CropScience. You can guess which side supported which idea!

We need un-biased info in order to make an informed decision! If anyone has that sort of info I would love to be turned on to it.

easyphloem · Apr 12, 2007

[ QUOTE ]
This thread just gave me the willies

[/ QUOTE ]

I just had to quote that.

easyphloem · Apr 12, 2007

And for the record,

I am all for more bees. And less of them disappearing.

Chum · Apr 12, 2007

I'm also for more bees. The consequences of any less bees than we're left with now are severe. Calculate the impact of it and it affects humanity, unless one only thinks on a narcissistic scale.

TreeDr · Apr 12, 2007

This may be off the subject here a little but in NJ we have laws that require us to notify beekeepers that we are applying pesticides, 24 hrs in advance, within a three mile radius of any hive. Thats a huge area here. Unfortunately to comply, I have to call her almost every day during spray season.

treebing · Apr 12, 2007

how do you find the beekeepers? A lot of beekeepers move their hives around a lot. That seems like it would be tough. It also sounds like an awful job spraying pesticides everyday.

No_Bivy · Apr 13, 2007

Do soil injections of IMI.. affect them?

treebing · Apr 14, 2007

The theory is that it is coming through in the nectar of the flowers. So I would imagine that if your doing soil injections near anything that flowers, than the bees will be sipping on some. Supposedly, they use IMI to control termites and it works by making them forget where they live. This fits the symptoms of the collapsing hives. The workers go out and just sort of blank out like alzeihmers cases. The rest of the hive just starves.
This is just a theory at the moment. Nobody has really been able to pin down the culprit. Other suspects are GMO crops etc.

I am learning all this through a program that is encouraging urban residents to own hives. If we complete 20 hours of training then we recieve a hive of bees and all the equipment. Urban bees seem to be doing better than rural bees at the moment because of the usage of agricultural pesticides. In detroit itself, there is virtually no pesticides applied anywhere as nobody has any money to worry about killing things. Somewhere, some bee lover heard about this and decided to invest in detroiters owning bees. Lucky for us.

mrtree · Apr 14, 2007

imidacloprid is a very long life product, I believe with soil injections of birch it last two years. Friends of mine use it in horticulture crops. They water imidacloprid mg per basket)into the soil of hanging baskets in early spring and it gives year long protection. In one case a wholesale buyer complained that their baskets had contaminated his greenhouse with insects (whitefly?). When they went to investigate they found a greenhouse full of bugs, but not one on any of their baskets that were months old.

I have also heard of imidacloprid building up in the soils of potatoes growing regions such as Long Island and PEI. Once again a wonder chemical showing its full impact years later.

woodville · Apr 14, 2007

Imidacloprid is not labeled for edible crop use in the U.S. last time I checked. We used it for years and were told that we would get 2 years worth of protection. Then thay said it was only good for one year but didn't change the rate or concentration. I hear the mite's are doing a number on the hives as well.

sean_freeman · Apr 15, 2007

There may be some confusion here since Imidacloprid is labeled for edible crop use in the U.S, at least outside California, just not commercial edible crops.
Pome fruit crops around residential areas, and grapes in or around industrial and commercial buildings or residential areas.
Some recognition of an impact on bees? Do not apply product or allow to drift onto blooming crops/weeds if bees are visiting the treatment area...maybe little signs and mini barricades would be the way to go.

mrtree · Apr 15, 2007

In Canada there were two formulations for plants, one for crops, one for horticulture. Wether this is still the case I do not know.

professor · Apr 15, 2007

In todats Star Legdger there was an cover story about the bees indusry and it said Imidacloprid was the cause for France bees lost. It didn't go into much detail. Also said most hives lost were ones near corn field in NJ.