you guys have no idea how much we rely on using Helix (canola seed treatment)
two weeks protection from flea beetles,
beekeepers should also consider that a two weeks protection from the crop duster
otherwise there would be a steady dose of Furadan on the lands, not good
I want to preface this by saying that I'm a small time hobbyist and I'm not even qualified to carry a hive tool for most of the people on this forum. That said…I live in the Midwest where corn is king and soybeans are a close second. It seems to me that when the government decided to get in the business of subsidizing corn (a food crop) to be made into fuel for vehicles, all bets were off. Whatever it takes to produce more "gasohol" is just OK with them.
30 years ago farmers were doing away with fence rows to gain a little more yield per acre and that was about it for pheasant and quail habitat. The bunnies disappeared, the coyotes moved in and the deer population exploded…now the deer are like the rabbits used to be except they are a bunch harder on your car when you hit one.
I'm in the process of moving to central Illinois so I spent a little time driving around up there looking for an apiary location…Corn, soybeans and housing subdivisions as far as the eye can see.
My original part of this discussion was about what is happening here where I live.....not about farming practices in CA. Specifically my comment was about the planting practices of the corn crop and the seed treatments. How much no-till corn is planted in CA Keith?
Wildbranch- Option 1.....they spray it with round up anyways
CG3 and Birdman-most are aware and some understand what is happening.
Haraga-I grew up working on farms. I've been here in the country my whole life. I have friends who make a living and support their families cash cropping. I've helped them fix their equipment......I've had conversations with these friends on how some practices affect the pollinators. Those aren't the ones causing the trouble. It's the ones who don't care as long as it doesn't affect them that cause the problems.
.I've had conversations with these friends on how some practices affect the pollinators. Those aren't the ones causing the trouble. It's the ones who don't care as long as it doesn't affect them that cause the problems.
neonicotinoid insecticides are used very extensively and have been for a long time now, a lot of farmers would not consider these types of seed treatment insecticides lethal to the bees. you are referring to the use of neonicotinoid insecticide use right?
Beeslave it sounds like you have only signed the back of the farm check and never the front of the farm check. Until you have signed the front then you have minimal room to critique farm practices.
this is a beekeeping forum, so my question is why would you folks ever defend anything that is or has been or will be harmful to bees.
There is a reason why there are people farming large amounts of land organically. And guess what they have huge brand new combines just like the other non organic corn farmers. the only difference is in the profit margin. how come you smart guys dont ever talk about how the government now subsidizes drain tiling.
If you dont care about anything but money then you would cut down every tree line, plow over every stream and run drain tile.
(pump your hives full of crap and forget this reality)
But on the other hand if you love this job and get more out of it than just money you would show some compassion for the less fortunate.
or just continue to tell us how good you are and wait for the whole thing to IMPLODE.
Why would Johnstons bees do well in the mountains???
these farmers dont NEED it to be so easy for them. they need to be forced to be smart. and the only way is to stop giving them everything on a silver platter. They are like an invasive specie with no predators and they are getting out of control.
I guess you don't know what you don't know. Let me let you in on a secret. Farmers are not smart. And that includes myself. If I were smart I would not be farming. I would be signing the back of someone else's check.
its spring you had better bee doing the shake shake shake. there are so many ways to do this job successful. a person in the midwest who wants to make a honey crop is so much different than someone who wants to farm bulk bees and pollinate crops. if an old queen is still laying today in a warm climate the only thing you could do to keep em in the box is to shake shake shake.
Ole Ben, lol your comment are truly one of one kind, last year at time I was about 100 miles south of you with 1000+ hives, But as you say " there are so many ways to do this job successfully" .
ben I can see your still upset that I'm not a commercial beekeeper. Maybe the greedy farmer down the road from you will loan me the cash to go commercial. No he has to feed his family too.
Birdman, no worries I'll loan you the cash. but I'm still reading crash course #137
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