[NewBeeLady]

Just heard a salesman was canvassing the neighborhood selling discounted rates for outside pest spraying. ACKKK!
Now I want to go bang on a few door, show them a jar of honey, and a jar of dead bees - one or the other - you can't have both!
But that would not be too civil.
What is a better approach?

NBL:no:

 

[tank]

Now I want to go bang on a few door, show them a jar of honey, and a jar of dead bees - one or the other - you can't have both!

NBL:no:

That's great. :lpf:
You mite want to ask to let you know if they are going to spray. Like you want to know so you can watch for damage to your hives. Make them think. But i like the 2 jar approach.

 

[tomkat]

At least one jar of Honey and maybe a printed flyer stating the damage of pesticides and other sprays. Copy something from online, make it professional looking. Also mention you collect swarms. Give them your number.

 

[beesohappy]

When we first moved here the house had sat empty for some time. The back yard was neglected and we found black widow spiders where the kids we playing. I was gone and the same kind of people came by and sold my wife on the spray. They offered a more natural spray because of the bees we had in the back yard. I wish I could remember what it was but I know it was derived from a flower or plant. Any way I didn't see any affect from the spray at all in fact the hive did so well that the neighbors was noticing more and more bees and finally the city came and asked me to remove it.

Where we keep our bees we have small sugar ant and I was under the thought that they were adding stress to the hives so I went out and bought some Bifen XTS after a friend recommended it to me. It's not bee friendly at all but I sprayed it around the hives anyhow and haven't seen any ill affects. Sure helps with the ants. I'm noticing that the ants are only going to the weak hives so maybe I just need to follow the ants to the hives that need help.

Oh I meant to ad that the guys selling the spray will lock you into a one year contract and there's no way out of it.

 

[RedDave]

I had the same problem with the small ants, lots of them! I bought some "Ant Traps", little round flat things with holes in the sides and put them very close to hive on the ground and placed a board on top of them. The bees can't get to them but the ants can. That's been 2 years and altho my surrounding yard has lots of ant colonies, haven't had any in the hive since.
Dave

 

[Mbeck]

I live in Florida on two acres in a "typical" development. My grass yard is over one acre of irrigated Floratam grass. I regularly apply pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer. I treat my home inside and out to the extent that I rarely see a bug inside. The remainder of the lot is treated with herbicides and pesticides as needed. I sometimes plant not native things that require additional care and serve no purpose other than to look at.

If you presented yourself at my door, introduced yourself as a neighbor and have me your "two jar spiel". I'd smile tell you how nice it is to meet you and make up an excuse to end the conversation.

If you introduced yourself and brought up during the conversation that you kept bees and had concerns about pesticides.
I'd......
Give you the # to our county mosquito control and the name of the person to talk to.
Point to surrounding neighbors and share which pest control companies they used and contact info.
Share info on each chemical I use and how I apply to avoid bee damage.
Invite you to go through my hives with me.
Offer you honey to take home and try.
Share local knowledge related to beekeeping.
Give you my cel # in case you ever needed help.
Introduce you to other beekeepers you may not know.
Offer you a few plants I've started that a helpful to bees.
These last two are self serving....Drone Pool.
Offer free proven queens for you to re queen with.
Perhaps even give you a hive