Bees & genetically modified crops

[Phil Chandler]

What is the attitude of US beekeepers to GMOs and their potential for causing problems for bees?

The British Beekeepers Association seems to be trying hard to ignore GMOs, which I find surprising and somewhat suspicious.

What news from your side of the pond?

[Juandefuca]

Hi Phil
The other side of the pond has questions about that also but I have not seen an uproar about that yet. But then again I might not be aware of it either.
Personally I usually take a reserved view on any fooling around with mother Nature. Whenever mother sees fit to modify , she does it quite well by her lonesome.
Catfish

[Pollinator]

I feel uncomfortable with it, in that there are so many unknowns, that it may come back to bite us later. I think it is here to stay, however, and we will now have to make the best of it.

OTOH, it has greatly reduced pesticide damage to my bees, because there is much less insecticide spraying during the early part of cotton bloom. Bees can now make some honey, instead of getting killed or greatly weakened.



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Dave
The Pollination Home Page
http://pollinator.com

[Phil Chandler]

I'm surprised by your apathy! Do you really want to eat honey full of GM pollen? I take your point about pesticides, but GMs ARE sprayed with Roundup (or similar noxious substance) in any case - the crop is resistant to it but the weeds (many of which the bees love) are not, and are killed off as ever. Surely beekeepers should be supporting organic and other non-chemical farming practices?

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pollinator:

I feel uncomfortable with it, in that there are so many unknowns, that it may come back to bite us later. I think it is here to stay, however, and we will now have to make the best of it.

OTOH, it has greatly reduced pesticide damage to my bees, because there is much less insecticide spraying during the early part of cotton bloom. Bees can now make some honey, instead of getting killed or greatly weakened.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Pollinator]

&gt;I'm surprised by your apathy!

You don't know me, do you? I think I've established my credentials as a non-apathetic person. I've campaigned against pesticide misuse for many years, and really put the heat on "bought-out" officials who refuse to enforce pesticide laws that protect bees.

&gt;Do you really want to eat honey full of GM pollen?

Would you rather eat pesticide-laced pollen?

&gt;I take your point about pesticides, but GMs ARE sprayed with Roundup (or similar noxious &gt;substance) in any case - the crop is resistant to it but the weeds (many of which &gt;the bees love) are not, and are killed off as ever. Surely beekeepers should be &gt;supporting organic and other non-chemical farming practices?

The high cost of pesticides, and the ever increasing regulation of them will help reduce their use. But a beekeeper who tries to force farms in his area to go organic would be laughed out of the discussion. On the other hand, when an applicator violates the label directions, he can be prosecuted, and he should be.

I use pesticides myself. I use them carefully and sparingly, but I do not see any alternative to using some. So I am not against pesticide use; rather I am against pesticide misuse. Now, THAT is a viable stance for beekeepers.

Pollinator

[Phil Chandler]

I said:
&gt;I'm surprised by your apathy!
You said:
You don't know me, do you? I think I've established my credentials as a non-apathetic person. I've campaigned against pesticide misuse for many years, and really put the heat on "bought-out" officials who refuse to enforce pesticide laws that protect bees.

&gt;&gt;I did not mean to impugn your integrity! But as far as I am concerned, any use of pesticides is abuse. Maybe I'm an extremist, but as an organic/biodynamic grower (on a small scale) I have never felt the need to use poisons of any kind: my efforts are concentrated on creating healthy soil and I leave the rest to nature. Maybe that doesn't work for everyone, but my neighbour, who runs the biggest organic farm in the UK, has the same attitude and it works for him, too.

I said:
&gt;Do you really want to eat honey full of GM pollen?

You said:
Would you rather eat pesticide-laced pollen?

&gt;&gt;Absolutely not - but you seem to be suggesting that this is the only alternative, which I do not believe.

I said:
&gt;I take your point about pesticides, but GMs ARE sprayed with Roundup (or similar noxious &gt;substance) in any case - the crop is resistant to it but the weeds (many of which &gt;the bees love) are not, and are killed off as ever. Surely beekeepers should be &gt;supporting organic and other non-chemical farming practices?

You said:
The high cost of pesticides, and the ever increasing regulation of them will help reduce their use. But a beekeeper who tries to force farms in his area to go organic would be laughed out of the discussion. On the other hand, when an applicator violates the label directions, he can be prosecuted, and he should be.

&gt;&gt;Well I don't know where you live, but clearly you have a way to go to persuade your community of the benefits of organic farming...!

best wishes,
Phil Chandler
Devon, UK