[MeriB]

So the guy forgot to tell me he is spraying the corn fields behind my hives with round up even as I type this! Am I going to loose them?

 

[Hambone]

Chances are they will be just fine.

1) Bees rarely work corn. Unless your in a dearth chance are they are not working it.

2) Glyphosate (Round Up) is considered "relatively non toxic"


http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2161.html

 

[MeriB]

Thanks Hambone.
It is my first hives and I am nervous as I have finally gotten both hives going well. I was afriad of them flying through it even though I have some bushes to force them up well over the current crop height.

 

[Brent Bean]

I agree with Hambone, honeybees will forage on corn when it’s tasseled out, and for pollen only. I have observed some of my neighbors spraying round up within a half mile of my hives and haven’t noticed any die offs.

 

[Beeslave]

Roundup around the beehives is common usage with many beekeepers to keep the weeds and grass down. All the commercial honey producers I know use it. I use it myself and find that the yards I use it in do better than if I didn't use it. Hives in tall weeds and grass don't get the airflow that is neccassary.

 

[Ted n Ms]

Roundup is a herbicide not a pesticide. I kill grass and weeds next my hives.....never lost one.

 

[afss]

i use it around my hives too but i try to make sure its a calm night and try to do it just before sun set so that the majority of bees are in. I am also carefull to minimze contact with the landing boards and hives. So far it seems ok

 

[clarkfarm]

Unless Pennsylvania farmers know more than we do down here in Virginia, corn is not yet developed enough to attract bees. Anyway my husband uses Roundup around the property and haven't seen any dead bees from that. So your bees should be fine.

 

[Dancing Bee Apiary]

I just hope its round up and not Furadan. Furadan is used on sweet corn and is deadly to bees. I've had dead hives from this.

 

[honeybeekeeper]

I use round up around my hives right when the sun goes down. I only use it every 2 mths and i only use half the amount that the directions states to use and everything seems to be working just fine! You shouldnt have anything to worry about! Good Luck!

 

[Countryboy]

I just hope its round up and not Furadan. Furadan is used on sweet corn and is deadly to bees. I've had dead hives from this.

The last I knew, you couldn't get Furadan anymore here in the US. (Unfortunately) The liquid Furadan is super great on *****. Fill a McDonald's cup with cat food, and dribble just a little bit of Furadan on the cat food. Stir it up good with a stick. A mean old tough **** will make it 5 or 6 feet. The wimpy ***** die with their head in the cat food.

The granular Furadan was a purple crystal. When you were spreading it, by the time you made a lap around the field and made it back to where you started, you would have dead birds laying everywhere.

Now you know why they outlawed it.

Normally bees won't mess with field corn pollen. Sometimes they will go for sweet corn pollen.

 

[Ben Brewcat]

Roundup is, as noted, an herbicide. It's also very safe to apply and, if not mis-applied, both effective and breaks down quickly. Pretty low-impact, apart of course from the dead plants .